We want her, Rippner
by CamiliaAnn
Summary: Final Chapter! Complete. Jackson is forced by his company to kidnap Lisa and attempt to train her to be one of them. Getting her to go along with it is half the battle... JxL. First fanfic!
1. Chapter 1

"We want her, Rippner."

Dr. Lindberg looked across the large cherry wood desk at Jackson, his dark eyes somber. The leather chair creaked slightly as he leaned forward and folded his hands across the desk, awaiting a response.

Jackson couldn't help but look incredulous as he looked back at his boss of the last 10 years. Normally he would never question Lindberg's judgment, but this was different. They'd just spent the last few hours going over his last botched assignment, trying to discern what had gone wrong and when. Jackson NEVER screwed up a job. His targets always delivered what he set out to get from them. His work was clean; rarely were targets that worse for the wear after he was finished with them, although they were usually extremely shaken up. Jackson was the master of cool, calm, and collected while working, and rarely let his own emotions get in the way of his work. He appeared without warning, vanished without a trace, and had never been captured by authorities. He was the company's golden boy. Until the Keefe job.

"With all due respect, Sir, you can't be serious," Jackson retorted with a very slight smile. "She isn't cut out for this type of work. I think that's pretty obvious…"

"Nonsense." Lindberg flicked his hand up and cut him off. "She is perfect for this company. She kicked your ass, didn't she? In fact, she nearly caused your death." Jackson's face darkened at the remark and he self-consciously brought a hand up to rub the scar at his throat. He didn't need constantly reminded of being bested by a 110-pound female. He was certain the company would never let him forget it. His boss calmly stared back at him, letting his comment humble Jackson for a moment, then continued on.

"That woman is perfect for the UA and you know it. She's quick on her feet, intelligent, adaptable. She obviously knows how to handle herself and think quickly when necessary. That incident a few years ago that you said she'd told you about obviously turned her into a tough cookie. Young, unmarried, no children, and a bit of a loner. Plus, she's quite easy on the eyes. You should know, Rippner, that goes a long way in our business." Jackson flicked his eyes out the window at the comment. "She will need training, of course, but that's to be expected. She has the potential…we'll just have to develop it."

He was beginning to see Lindberg's point, but still felt the need to argue.

"But sir, it simply isn't in her to do what we do. She has this ludicrous compassion for people she barely knows, that mean nothing to her. In the two months I observed her I never saw her hurt a fly or raise her voice to anyone. Her world is that hotel and the inside of her apartment. Her life is quite boring, actually…"

"Then maybe she could use some excitement," Lindberg said quickly. "Her experience with you obviously awakened something in her. Fear, rage, the ability to hurt another human being. Maybe she'd like to experience it again. Everyone has a dark side, Rippner…even this woman. We'll just need to make her see it too, and show her how big of an asset it can be."

Jackson closed his eyes and ran a hand through his brown locks, sighing slightly. Obviously Lindberg had made up his mind about this and wouldn't listen to reason. Jackson _knew_ her. He knew this would never work.

"And we'll need you to go and get her."

Jackson's eyes shot open at the statement and nearly got out of his chair.

"Sir, I think I've had quite enough involvement with this target. I'm sure you could send Rhamy…or even Kratzer…"

Lindberg shook his head and spoke emphatically. "You're certainly in no position to argue with me, Rippner. And you're the best man I've got, even after your botched assignment. And she is no longer your target. She will be your protégé. Remember that. You have a week to bring her in so we can start her in basic instruction. Do whatever necessary to get her here, but bring her as unspoiled as possible." Lindberg sat back in his squeaking chair and turned his attention to his computer, signifying the conversation was over. Jackson stared intensely at his superior for a brief moment, rose quietly, and exited the office.

He silently fumed as he stormed down the dark, sterile-looking hallway. That _woman_. He'd spent his first few conscious days in the hospital after the red eye flight plotting his revenge against her. It would be agonizing and painful. After being released by the doctors, he was immediately taken to jail, where of course he only spent a few days before the agency had busted him out. Her apartment had been his first order of business, and he'd headed there with full intentions of carrying out the hundreds of revenge fantasies that had played out in his head. But when he'd actually pulled into the complex and seen her through the window, something within him inexplicably softened.

Lisa had been curled up on her couch with a thick novel wearing fleece pajamas, her hair in a messy bun on the side of her head. She brought a large pink mug to her pretty lips and sipped, then laughed softly at something she was reading. Jackson watched her for several minutes, just absorbing the scene. She looked so soft, beautiful, _adorable_…

This should have fueled his fire and made him relish the thought of so violently interrupting her in such a vulnerable state, but it didn't. Seeing her again provoked some odd sense of longing in him that he hadn't realized before. Against his will, his desire for revenge melted away. He'd sat in his car for several more minutes, angry with himself for allowing his emotions to get in the way again. Why did she do that to him? What was it about her the drove him so crazy? She was just a woman…a _job_…just like any other. He'd finally driven away and decided to forget her.

Jackson angrily busted through the door to the agency parking garage. He would rather wring her pretty little neck than bring her into the company, but something in his stomach fluttered at the thought of seeing her again. He'd done his best to forget her since seeing her in her apartment, but the scars on his body would never let that happen. _No matter_, he thought. _At least I'll get to have a little fun with her first. She probably thinks I'm dead._ Actually, the thought of the look on her face when she saw him again brought a slight smile to his lips.

He smoothly slid into the leather seat of his black BMW. He was going to steal Lisa.


	2. Chapter 2

Lisa quickly pulled her red mini-cooper into the parking lot of Turtle Creek Apartments around 11pm. She was physically and emotionally exhausted from the long shift at the Lux, and her cozy queen-sized bed was calling to her.

It had been four months since the red eye, but Lisa was still extremely wary when she walked around anywhere in the dark. She surveyed the well-manicured landscape and pulled the mace from her purse before stepping out of the car, darting her eyes around quickly as she walked to her door. As usual, it was dark and quiet and she was seemingly alone, but it never hurt to be too cautious. She sighed with a little relief as she slid the key into the door and then locked it behind her.

Her dad had begged her to move back in with him after the red eye, but she'd politely refused. She adored her independence and wasn't going to let that incident dictate how she lived her life. It had actually empowered her, knowing that she had beaten a trained assassin.

_A trained assassin_….Lisa paused for a minute after removing her brown heels and let her mind wander once again to Jackson Rippner. Having been away from the incident for a while and actually being able to analyze what had happened, she began to remember little hints of compassion peaking through the stone-cold exterior. The gentle way he'd touched her scar, the way he'd looked at her with those icy blue eyes when she'd pleaded with him to stop the assignment, the quiet way he'd responded when she'd told him about her rape…almost as if he was trying to identify with her…

Of course, this was all before she'd sent him into a homicidal rage by fighting back and stabbing him in the throat. Still, Lisa believed that most everyone had at least some good in them, and she wondered how far deep it had been in Jackson. When she was surveying him after he'd been shot, she'd genuinely felt sorry for him and wished things could have been different. It was too bad he had to die. She should hate him after all he'd put her through. Why didn't she?

Lisa stood there for a minute staring at the wall with sad eyes before shaking her head and telling herself to snap out of it. That was all in the past. It was time to move on with her life. Jackson was gone and the red eye was over.

She padded into her bedroom and pulled her navy blue blouse over her head, then unzipped her cream-colored pencil skirt and let it slide down the gentle curves of her hips. Pulling the hair stick out of her hair, the soft curls cascaded down her back. She sighed contentedly and ran her fingers through her hair. It felt good to be out of those work clothes.

She began to run hot water into the tub, dropped in some lavender bath salts, and lit some candles. A relaxing hot bath before bed would do her some good and would help her sleep. A few minutes later she was soaking in the steamy scented water in the candle-lit room, enjoying the solitude. "Ahhhh…."

Jackson sat in his black beamer on the street beside Lisa's apartment, desperately wanting a cigarette. "Damn nicotine patches…" he mumbled. It'd been four weeks since he'd quit, and it didn't seem to be getting any easier. He was accustomed to having a cigarette to help him relax before beginning a job, and the anxiety of the mission plus the thought of seeing Lisa Reisert again made him need one more than ever.

He'd watched her little red car pull in about 30 minutes ago, observing her walk to her door looking like she was ready to mace anything that moved. He'd chuckled to himself. "Wow, Leese…Have I scarred you that badly?" The corners of his full lips dropped slowly as he studied the gentle sway of her hips as she walked in the form-fitting skirt. He realized it was certainly pleasant to lay eyes on her again. That was one thing about Lisa…She was a spitfire and completely unreasonable and illogical, but one glance from her big green eyes or simply biting her bottom lip could make any man weak in the knees. But not Jackson. No woman had truly gotten to him and no woman ever would. He was a professional…Not a romantic. He admitted he enjoyed looking at her and even in a twisted way enjoyed throwing her around, but that was as deep as it went.

Jackson cracked his knuckles and looked down to make sure his k-bar, the company's weapon of choice, was still tucked into his jacket. He'd watched the lights go out in her window and assumed she'd be asleep by now. Much easier to apprehend. A little chloroform against her mouth and she'd be out quickly, and a great deal easier to transport back to headquarters. Of course, that's when things would get complicated…

He ran a quick hand through his hair and got out of the vehicle, making sure to shut the door quietly. He realized his heart was pounding and he quietly cursed himself. Scanning the area for any potential passers-by, he was satisfied that he was alone, and made a beeline for Lisa's door.

Pulling a small tool out of his suit pocket, he very quickly and easily picked the front lock. He glanced around him again to make sure he wasn't being watched, then slowly pushed the door open. Immediately his nose was hit with the soft scent of lavender. He breathed in slightly. Suddenly he was transported back to the small airplane lavatory where he and Lisa had their little interlude. Her perfume had filled the little room and nearly consumed him.

He shook it off to focus on the task at hand. The entire house was dark, as expected. As he crept down the hallway toward her bedroom, he noticed a soft warm light emitting from the under the door of the bathroom. He approached and realized it was cracked open a bit. Pulling the knife from his jacket, he slowly pushed open the door…

There was Lisa, asleep in the bathtub. It was a deep tub, filled with bubbles that mostly covered her body except for her shoulders and the top of her breasts. Her head was laid back and her hair cascaded down the back of the tub, hanging over the edge. Lavender filled the air and many small candles twinkled in the dimly lit room. Jackson was completely mesmerized, slightly embarrassed to find her in such a state but also unable to pull his eyes from her. Her hair was longer, he noticed, and her pretty lips were slightly parted as she breathed. He stood there dumbly with his knife in his hand, unsure how to proceed.

Suddenly Lisa began to awaken, apparently somehow disturbed by Jackson's presence. She seemed confused at first as she stared at the bubbles, then an annoyed look crossed her face as she realized she'd fallen asleep in the tub. Seemingly ignorant of another person in the darkness of the room, she leaned over and reached for a towel, the bubbles barely keeping her decent…

"Leese…"

Lisa's head jerked up and she let out a small scream, throwing herself back into the bubbles. She clutched the towel against her.

"Who's there?? What the hell are you doing in my house??" she spat, her face contorted in fear. She was breathing heavily as her eyes searched the large bathroom, finally setting on a dark figure in the corner. "Who is that? What do you want??" The dark figure paused, then spoke.

"First lesson, Leese. Never let the enemy catch you off guard." She could hear a smile in his voice. She had to be hearing things. Leese? Only Jackson had ever called her that. And he was dead…wasn't he? Her heart pounded mercilessly in her chest. Any weirdo in her house watching her in the tub would be awful, but it being Jackson made things ten times worse.

"Ja…Jackson?" she whispered, and gasped as he stepped closer into the light. It _was_ him. Her heart twisted a little at the sight of him. She could see his cold eyes twinkling in the darkness, a smirk on his lips. She looked down him and noticed his dark suit and light-colored shirt. He was dressed almost exactly like the last time she'd seen him. Then she noticed the large knife in his hand.

"What are you doing here, Jackson? You're supposed to be dead!!" she shouted, exasperated.

"Aww…I'm missed you too," he whispered with light sarcasm. "First off, Lisa, things will go a lot more smoothly if you stop shouting. We don't want your neighbors getting suspicious." He flashed the knife at her to incite her to obey. He crouched down to meet her at eye level. She pushed herself against the back of the tub, subconsciously trying to get away from him. Her eyes locked with his as her mind frantically searched for a way of escape, but found none. Being naked in the tub left her pretty vulnerable.

"And I'm not dead, Lisa, although I wasn't far from it. You and your dad did quite a number of me, but modern medicine is just amazing, isn't it?" He smirked at her a little, and she stared at him with no response. She'd been told he had died on the operating table, but apparently there was agency corruption even in the medical system. She probably shouldn't be surprised.

"I'm sorry to have interrupted your bath…" His eyes brushed gently over her body, and she blushed and pulled the towel more tightly against her. He found her absolutely adorable, enjoying her discomfort.

"Why are you here, Jackson? What do you want? Revenge?" She glanced again at the k-bar. "If so, I'd prefer you just get it over with quickly." Her heart pounded at the bold words. He continued to look amused, enjoying the situation. He'd been afraid that if she'd been awake when he broke in she would fight back, but her being in the tub with only bubbles keeping her from total nudity kept her completely in his control. He stood.

"No, Leese, I'm not here to hurt you, as much as I'd like to…" He walked over to the bathroom door and took her bathrobe from its hook. "First, I need you decent," he said as he tossed it to her. "Then we'll talk."

She stared at the robe on the floor in front of her for a minute, then looked back up at Jackson. He just watched her calmly, and she realized he wasn't going to even turn his head for her to cover herself. Too much opportunity for her to try something. She scowled at him then leaned over to grab the robe. Draping it out in front of her, she rose out of the tub. Very carefully she turned herself around to wrap the robe around her and tied it. Jackson was impressed at how modestly she'd executed the act. Stepping out of the tub, she faced him.

"Now what?" she asked, seemingly compliant. Jackson knew better than to let his guard down though. He'd underestimated her before, and he wasn't going to do it again. Now that she was dressed, she undoubtedly would attempt an escape. He decided to beat her to it and immediately establish that he was in control of the situation. "Well first off…" he began smoothly.

He suddenly lunged at her and pressed her against the wall with his body before she even had a chance to react. She let out another small scream as she felt a sharp edge pressed against her throat. She shut her eyes and fought the urge to cry.

"First off, Leese, you need to understand that I'm in charge here," he seethed, his clear eyes intense. "I know how you like to play games. Well we're not on the plane anymore. Get cute, and I won't hesitate to slit your throat." He was very convincing, although he knew there was no way Lindberg would let him get away with showing up at headquarters with a dead Lisa Reisart. But Lisa didn't need to know that.

"Got it?" he persisted, pressing the sharp blade against her tender flesh. She opened her eyes, looked straight at him, and slowly nodded. "Good…" he whispered, slipping a hand into his jacket pocket without averting his gaze from hers. "Night-night, Leese…"

Her brow wrinkled in confusion when suddenly his hand shot up and shoved a damp rag against her nose and mouth, suffocating her with chloroform fumes. She let out a muffled scream while Jackson held his hand firmly against her face.

"Shhhh…" he cooed as she became limp in his arms. He dropped the knife and picked her up to hold her across his chest. She was surprisingly light and of course smelled of lavender. He let himself admire her again briefly, letting his gaze fall to where her robe had opened a bit at the chest. Why did she have to be so beautiful…It just complicated things.

He carried her into the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed while he went to quickly pack her some clothes. They had a long trip ahead of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello readers! Due to some great suggestions by some of my wonderful reviewers, I rewrote the end of this chapter. There's still plenty of fun sexy tension but I decided to pull back and not let them "consummate" it yet. I hope you like it!

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Lisa suddenly awoke, disoriented. It was dark, and she realized she was riding in a car. When did she get in a car?

"Good morning, sunshine." Jackson glanced over at her as he turned down the freeform jazz playing on the radio. "How was your nap?"

Lisa glared at him and hated the smirk on his lips. So it hadn't been a nightmare. "Did you drug me?" she demanded.

"Don't worry, I didn't try anything…" he assured her, his gaze remaining on the road. She looked down and realized she was still wearing her bathrobe, although it had been tied more securely around her body. He'd apparently slipped some flip-flops onto her feet. She was strapped in tightly with the seat belt, and some slight wiggling made her realize her wrists and ankles were both bound. He wasn't taking any chances with her this time.

"Did you really have to tie me up?" she asked, annoyed. He gave her a sarcastic look but didn't answer her. It got quiet again and she watched the landscape go by for a few minutes, realizing from the road signs that they were headed north. Lisa was still afraid, but for some reason believed Jackson that his intention wasn't revenge. She knew asking questions didn't get her very far with him, but she still wanted to know what he wanted with her.

"So where are you taking me?" she tried. Jackson glanced in the rearview mirror as he changed lanes.

"You'll find out soon enough," he said dismissively, still wanting to maintain control of the situation. The less she knew at this point, the more she was at his mercy. After a long pause she realized he wasn't going to relinquish any more information. She sighed and looked again out the window as they passed yet another orange grove.

"Jackson…" she began, wanting to keep some type of dialogue going. Hearing his name on her lips rustled up a small turning in his stomach, but he didn't respond. "…how long were you in the hospital?" His blue eyes glanced over at her again, surprised that she would ask such a question. He decided there was no harm in light conversation. After all, they were going to be in the car together for a while. He relaxed a little.

"About a month," he said quickly. She paused again.

"Do you have scars?" she asked softly. He tightened his grasp on the steering wheel but didn't answer. She assumed he did have them, probably several. Good. Lisa subconsciously glanced down at the blue terrycloth fabric that covered the scar above her breast.

"So how long do you plan on keeping me in a bathrobe?" Even though she was technically covered it was still a very intimate garment to be wearing out in public. Plus, she was without a bra or panties. She decided she was pleased he didn't try to put some on her.

"Don't worry, Leese…I packed some of your clothes," he answered. He flicked his head backward to indicate a small suitcase riding in the back seat. Lisa was instantly mortified at the thought of Jackson rooting around in her drawers and closet. He looked over at her and enjoyed the look on her face, adding, "Don't worry, it's not all lingerie." He gave her another smile and she rewarded him with an icy stare. Jackson again looked up to change lanes and Lisa again averted her gaze to the passing landscape. Neither of them spoke for several minutes.

About an hour more into the drive Jackson finally pulled off an exit to find them a place to bed down for the night. It had been a really long night, and another day of keeping Lisa in line would require plenty of rest. Plus he could tell she was exhausted.

She sat quietly as he pulled into a hotel parking lot then gasped, suddenly afraid of what he might have in store for them. He wouldn't…_try_ anyting…would he? She closed her eyes and again fought tears. No, that didn't seem like Jackson…He may be an assassin but that didn't make him a rapist…After all, he had mostly let her keep her modesty back in the bathroom…

Jackson looked over at her as he put the BMW in park and realized what she must be thinking. He rolled his eyes.

"Relax, Leese," he said impatiently. "I told you I'm not going to try anything. We'll get a room with separate beds. How does that sound?" He waited for a grateful response but received only a tearful stare. "Sit tight," he spat as he exited the car, slamming the door behind him. She watched him slide a hand through his hair as he walked toward the hotel lobby.

_He's leaving me alone?_ she wondered. She quickly glanced around for someone to signal, but it was 2am and there was no one in the parking lot. She then tried to reach over for the horn, hoping to maybe signal some help before Jackson returned, but he'd strapped her in too tightly. She just sat there, angry and defeated. She watched through the window as he charmed the clerk at the front desk, then emerged a few minutes later with a key to their room. He unlocked the car and slid back into his seat.

"118 is our magic number, Lisa." Jackson pulled the BMW around to the other side of the building. Sliding the car into park he quickly reached over to grab and hold her jaw to face him. His eyes were without jest this time. "Don't get cute." Her face gave away nothing, but she knew she wouldn't get far with her ankles and wrists bound. There would be more opportunities for escape, but this wasn't one of them. She chose to be compliant.

He released her jaw and exited the car, carrying their luggage with him. After dumping their bags he walked back out to the car to get Lisa. She tensed as her door opened. He leaned across her to unbuckle her seatbelt, but his proximity to her made her catch her breath. He smelled faintly of aftershave and sweat. She hadn't really been close enough to a man to smell him in a long time. Oddly, she found it slightly intoxicating.

Once she was unbuckled he slid one arm beneath her knees and one behind her back, intending to carry her into their room. His touch caused her to stiffen slightly. Knowing their faces were so close he turned to look at her intending to creep her out, but Lisa steadily held his gaze with an indiscernible look in her eyes. Perplexed, he pulled her out of the car and held her against his chest. Lisa was a little surprised at how gently he carried her, firmly, almost protectively. She realized it was probably just because he didn't want her to try to wiggle out of his grasp.

He pushed the door open with his back and then turned to enter. Inwardly cringing at the irony of being carried across the threshold by Jackson, she took in their surroundings and was instantly struck by the beauty of the suite. It had very chic design, accented mostly by black and bone colors, with vaulted ceilings. It was spacious and had a small sitting area with a love seat, recliner, desk, and a small fridge. A large flat screen TV was mounted against the wall opposite the beds. She was surprised at the fanciness of the place but then remembered this was Jackson. He didn't do anything halfway and the room seemed to reflect his style. She sighed lightly with relief. There were two beds. As promised.

"The agency's dime," he breathed as he laid her on the black comforter. "You'll learn to love the little perks." Her brow furrowed, not understanding, but she chose not to pursue it knowing he wouldn't elaborate. How long did he plan on keeping her anyway? She felt him pause for a beat more than necessary to look her over. She blushed as she realized how she must look. Bound and laying on a bed with a bathrobe barely keeping her decent. She became angry with herself when she realized she found the situation slightly sexy, and quickly looked away. Jackson's eyes lit with a bit of humor, seemingly reading her thoughts again. He went to deadbolt the door.

"I'd like to put on some clothes," she snapped, trying to regain some of her anger at being kidnapped and forced into this uncomfortable situation.

"In due time…" he said softly, unclasping his Rolex and setting it on the nightstand. He removed his jacket and revealed a slim-cut, dusty blue dress shirt. Lisa couldn't help but watch as she was given a clearer view of the cut of his upper body. He removed his black leather shoes before walking over to grab the suitcase he had packed for her. "Alright, Leese…" he began, clicking it open. "I'm going to untie you so you can get dressed." He sat down next to her on the bed and leaned in, bringing his face a few inches from hers. She tried to jerk her head away but he quickly caught it and gently brought her back to face him. "I don't need to remind you of the consequences of getting creative, do I?" A touch of fear reached her eyes as she remembered the blade he had on him, and shook her head in compliance. But for some reason she still believed his promise that his intention wasn't to hurt her. Something in his demeanor was different than when they were together on the red eye. He seemed less menacing, although she knew he could still be dangerous. She wasn't sure why he had kidnapped her, but she intended to play along. For now, anyway. At this point she was finding herself almost intrigued, wondering what he could possibly want with her.

"Peachy…" He gave her his trademark smirk, his face still close, and she felt his thumb begin gently brushing back and forth across her bottom lip. It threw her off guard but she wasn't compelled to resist him. She hated that she wasn't repulsed by his touch. After a couple seconds she felt his thumb slid down her cheek and he released her face. He leaned back to work on the binding on her ankles. When they were free he ran his fingers lightly over the red marks the binding had caused, then unfastened her wrists. He held them after they were free from the ropes.

"Man, Leese, why so docile? No attempted head-butts or kicks in the groin? I almost like bitchy Lisa better." He laughed when she jerked out of his hold and reached over to her suitcase. She found herself impressed at what he'd packed for her. He hadn't forgotten a thing, although it appeared he'd selected her sexiest pairs of underwear. _Nice_. After grabbing some pajamas she headed to the bathroom, locking it behind her.

Jackson took advantage of the solitude by removing his dress shirt and pants, leaving him in black boxers and a plain white t-shirt. He reclined on the other bed and started up the television, flipped through a few late-night infomercials, and finally turned it off again. He closed his eyes as he reclined and brought his hands behind his head against the pillow. Lisa was wearing him out. Not because she required constant discipline or aroused his anger, but because her very _presence_ was exhausting. Her beauty, the way graceful way she carried herself, her fire coupled with her natural sweet spirit…so easily taken advantage of. He loved how she came across as weak but could almost be as dangerous as he was. Every time he touched her he felt his body react, and he hoped he was hiding it well. If Lisa knew how strong an effect she had on him she would surely use it against him somehow. And Lindberg wanted Jackson to make her his protégé and train her. Who the hell knew how long that was going to take? He wasn't sure if he could take the next few months one-on-one with Lisa Reisart. He might go insane.

Just then Lisa unlocked the bathroom door and emerged wearing long yellow pajama pants and a modest white tank top, her hair tied back. Ignoring him, she took the blue bathrobe and draped it across the end of her bed. Jackson watched and admired how she looked in her pajamas, then felt a wave of suspicion wash over him.

"Freeze," he commanded. She finally looked at him and reddened slightly at his attire, holding still, a slight lurch in her stomach. He arose from the bed and noticed the telling look on her face as he approached. He paused a few inches from her with his arms crossed over his chest, just close enough for her to feel the heat radiating from his body.

"Get a little creative in the bathroom, did we?" he asked smoothly, his eyes intense. Lisa's eyes flashed and her heartbeat increased.

"Of course not," she replied, raising her chin slightly. He gave her a humorless smirk and grabbed both her upper arms.

"Don't move," he seethed. Holding one arm firmly, he slid his free hand slowly down her side and then over her hip. She froze at his touch and realized he was frisking her. Finding nothing he smoothed his hand up around her back, checking for something maybe tucked into her bra strap. Then he checked her ponytail, running her fingers through it. The look in his eyes as he searched her was unreadable. Lisa's heart pounded in her chest, affected by his touch but also terrified knowing that he would soon discover her treachery. He switched the arm he was holding and smoothed the free hand over her other hip…

She sucked in a breath when he stopped at her waist, presumably feeling the object tucked into the waistband of her pajamas.

"Ahh…" he breathed as he lifted up her shirt to retrieve the object. Lisa closed her eyes, afraid of what punishment awaited her. He pulled out a flat razorblade just like the ones used in old-time barbershops. Apparently this fancy hotel provided shaving kits in the bathrooms. He cursed himself for not checking the room out before allowing her access to it. Rage filled him at the realization that she had lied to him…again. The blade hit the carpet with a small thud.

His grabbed her and roughly pulled her against him. "Why do you always lie, Leese?! When are you going to learn that it's not going to get you anywhere?" he yelled, his jaw clenching. She didn't respond and looked back at him, wide-eyed with panic at what he might do to her. Suddenly he felt a firm kick to his shin, the sudden pain making him loosen his hold. Bringing her fists up she tried to shove him away from her and wriggle out of his grasp. Mostly free with her eyes set on the door, she let out a small scream as she felt a strong yank on her hair, pulling her backwards. She fell back against Jackson and he brought his arm around to hold across her neck. She wriggled frantically in his grasp, weakened by the blockage of air.

"That's enough, Lisa!" he fumed into her hair. When she continued to squirm he spun her around and threw her onto the bed, quickly jumping on top of her. He put his full weight on her and caught her wrists, pressing them into the bed above her head. "I said _that's enough_." She stopped squirming and just stared at him gasping for breath, her green eyes wide. His anger dissipated a little as she calmed down.

"Glad to have old Lisa back," he muttered, unsmiling, gasping a bit himself. Coming out of the angry fog he looked down at the indecent position they were in and couldn't help but feel some strange pleasure in the feeling of her beneath him. He caught her eyes again and realized their essence had changed. After so much observation he could read Lisa like a book, and something her eyes was almost akin to…_lust_? He couldn't believe she was just as aroused as he was but the look on her face threw him. He hadn't known Lisa had this side to her, but it was certainly interesting to discover it. Did she actually _like_ it when he threw her around?

Still holding her wrists firmly above her head, he slowly lowered his head, testing her. He stopped about an inch from her face, feeling her heavy breathing against his mouth. She gawked at his closeness, searching his eyes.

"What are you doing?" she whispered intensely, her body shaking slightly beneath his. He didn't answer her but continued to hold her gaze. Slowly he brought his head back up.

"Listen to me, Leese…" he said, some fire returning to his eyes as he tightened his grip on her wrists. "Consider this a warning. I'm not here to hurt you and I don't plan to, but if you keep this up you give me no choice. Now stop the games. It's getting old."

Lisa's body quickly went cold as he pulled himself off her. Slipping back into calm and collected mode, he turned away and began setting the alarm clock. She just lay there and watched him, unsure what to do. He'd released her again…Should she bolt for the door? Part of her didn't want to, but she wasn't sure why. He glanced at her and noticed her eyeing the door. He let out a small groan…

"Dammit, Leese, am I going to have to tie you to the bed tonight?"

She looked back at him and blushed at the double entendre, then stared at her feet. He sighed and bent down to grab the ropes he'd used to bind her earlier. He sat down on her bed again and began to tie her wrists. She didn't resist him. After tying a good knot he took another rope and tied it between her wrists and the wooden pole on the headboard of the bed. He pulled the ropes to make sure they were secure then grabbed a couple pillows to place under her head. Pulling the covers out from under her, he tucked them up under her chin. Once she was sufficiently tucked in, he crouched down to meet her gaze.

"I know this won't be an extremely comfortable night for you but I can't have you trying to escape again." His voice was firm. He abruptly stood and headed for the bathroom. A few minutes went by as she heard the toilet flush and the gentle sound of running water. Emerging he went to his own bed, sliding under the covers and quickly turning off the lights. It was silent for a few minutes.

"Jackson?" she whispered in the darkness. She heard him sigh.

"Yeah?"

She paused for a second, trying to determine the best words to use.

"Tomorrow…will I find out exactly what it is you want with me? I think I have a right to know." He was quiet for a minute.

"Sure, Leese. Tomorrow. Now go to sleep." She heard him roll. Feeling strangely reassured, she soon drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The alarm clock went off at precisely 7:00am, breaking the peaceful darkness with its annoying screeching. Jackson immediately switched off the alarm, sat up in bed, and turned on the light. Being more of a snooze-button girl, Lisa awoke much more heavily, again at first confused as to why she wasn't in her own bed. Her memory was jogged again quickly as she watched Jackson climb from his bed, grab a few things from his suitcase, and head for the bathroom. Since he hadn't bothered to untie her she had no choice but to just lay there, so she took advantage of the situation by falling back asleep. It seemed like 30 seconds had passed when she awoke again to a clean-shaven, showered, fully dressed Jackson untying the ropes on her wrists. She lay there lethargic until he spoke.

"Take a shower. I packed you some professional clothes. Put them on. We need to be on the road in 40 minutes, so no dragging your feet." He then rose to finish packing his things and put the room back in order. Jackson was certainly all business today. As Lisa sat up she couldn't help but notice that Jackson seemed a little nervous…slightly apprehensive even. This wasn't like him. What was going on today? And why the hell would he care what she wore? At this point her curiosity was getting the best of her, but was it really worth the risk to find out? In reality, things at the Lux Atlantic had gotten pretty dry lately, and her life had fallen back into its old routine from since before the red eye. Her experience with Jackson four months ago had challenged her and thrust her out of her comfort zone, forcing her to think quickly and act in ways she'd never imagined she'd have to. She discovered strength and courage in herself, and it wasn't without some sense of thrill. She'd never admitted it to anyone, but a couple months after it'd happened she'd started to miss the danger…the excitement. Now thoroughly intrigued by this mysterious kidnapping, she was finding herself almost willing to risk the potential danger. She wondered if she was going crazy.

"Um….Leese?" Jackson muttered, annoyed at the delay. "Did I stutter?"

Snapping back to the present, Lisa went to her suitcase and pulled out some undergarments, surveying the professional attire he'd packed for her. She found a black pencil skirt, fitted black jacket, soft green button down shirt, black pantyhose, and her favorite black heels. A classic and professional ensemble, but a bit drab. He'd even remembered to pack her makeup bag. Guess he wanted her looking fresh-faced and happy, wherever he was taking her. She showered quickly and was able to finish getting ready within her 40-minute time limit. When she emerged from the bathroom Jackson was seated in the recliner, his blue eyes intent on an article he was reading in the newspaper. He was wearing a suit, as usual, this time very dark gray with yet another blue button-up shirt in a different shade underneath. His bright eyes practically glowed in the morning sunlight.

He glanced up when she approached him and sucked in a quick breath at the sight of her. She'd of course been sexy to him last night, vulnerable and barely dressed, but the professional attire brought out a different facet of her beauty. It transformed her image into that confident, "kick ass" Lisa that had intrigued his agency in the first place. He silently congratulated himself on picking such an appropriate outfit for her. She looked the part perfectly.

"Breakfast," he declared as he stood and set the paper aside. He reached over and grabbed his bag, waited for her to grab hers, and walked out the door. He didn't bother with threats or physical force to keep her in line this morning. Oddly, they both knew she would not resist him.

A half hour later they were back in the BMW and heading down the highway. Few words were exchanged but Lisa noticed again how fidgety Jackson seemed. He shifted in his seat every minute or so, switching hand positions on the steering wheel and readjusting his mirrors. She sat quietly but impatiently, knowing that he would volunteer the information about where they were headed when he was ready and not a minute before.

"So how's ol' dad doing?" he asked. She glanced over at him, a bit stunned at the question, a suspicious look on her face. Jackson better not have involved her father in this mess again. He'd been through enough already.

"He's….fine. Why?" she replied, eyeing him.

"Relax, Leese. Just making conversation. If we're going to be together for a while we're going to have to learn to get along," he said. She didn't reply but didn't take her eyes off him, waiting for him to go on. He shifted in his seat again and glanced out the side window, suddenly frustrated again at being put in this position by Lindberg. There was no way for him to put this that she would understand or go along with. This was never going to work.

"Lisa…" he began, clearing his throat. "My boss sent me to get you. After reviewing my report from the Keefe job he was apparently impressed by how you handled the stressful circumstances you were under, and wants to meet you, possibly hire you." He paused and glanced over to see her reaction, but there was an unreadable expression on her face. "You need to understand that this is a huge privilege. My superior has been with the UA for nearly 25 years and only hires one or two new men a year. We're a very exclusive company. " He waited for his words to sink in before he looked over again, awaiting a reaction. She gave him none, although her face had gone pale. She was still for several minutes.

"What's the UA?" she practically whispered. Jackson let out a small sigh, relieved that she was at least showing signs of curiosity and not flat out refusal and defiance.

"The UA is the name of my company. It was started back in the 50's by a discharged military sharpshooter and his wife that discovered a market for assassins-for-hire. The original intention was to only take jobs that involved disposing of people that were a threat to the good of humanity or some shit, but eventually boundaries blurred and now the company simply accepts jobs from the highest bidder." He paused again, then added, "There is a _lot_ of money in this business, Leese." She showed her first sign of emotion by rolling her eyes.

"Jackson," she started, exasperated. "What in the _hell_ makes you and your boss think I could do what you do? I'm not like you, and you know it. I risked my life trying to _save_ the Keefes. What makes you think I could've switched places with you and done what you did?"

"Because I personally witnessed the fire in your eyes when we fought back at your dad's house, Lisa," he snapped back at her. "Because I know how boring your life is right now, and how you crave excitement and adventure." He paused for a second. "And I know how much of a thrill you get when we get physical." She gasped and brought a hand up to slap him, but he caught it in mid-air and threw it back down into her lap. "You have _fire_, Leese," he continued, glancing at her from the road. "An animal in you. And you're caging it by maintaining this damn dreary lifestyle. Don't tell me you haven't missed this."

She said nothing, silently fuming at his words, but not refuting them. Finally she muttered, "You and your boss are both crazy if you think I'm going to go along with this."

"Well I guess we'll see, won't we?" he said so condescendingly she wanted to slap him. She turned her attention to the passing landscape, her mind racing. What could Jackson's company have possibly seen in her to make them want her to work for them? She wasn't like them…was she? Wouldn't they look to hire convicts or former mafia or something? What could they possibly want with her? Frustrated, at this point she didn't know what else to do than to just along with it for now. What choice did she have?

The car ride continued in silence until Jackson finally pulled off an exit. The exit led to small country road with barely any signs of civilization, save a small abandoned gas station. One turn lead to another, another, and another, until Lisa realized she'd lost her sense of direction and wouldn't be able to find her way back to the highway even if she wanted to. Winding roads, gravel roads, and finally, a dirt road.

"Almost there…" Jackson said softly, seemingly more relaxed. In the distance appeared a wide two-story gray building. Satellite dishes sprinkled the rooftop, and a tall black gate surrounded the perimeter. It almost looked like a prison.

Jackson pulled up to the front gate in front of what looked like an ATM. He pushed a card into the slot he'd pulled from his wallet and typed in a 10-digit code. When a green light flashed indicating acceptance a female digital voice said, "Voice confirmation please."

"Jackson Rippner," he said emphatically. The green light flashed again, and the front gate began to slowly open. Lisa watched in fascination.

"Thorough security system, huh?" she mused. He glanced at her.

"Only the best," he remarked, pulling into the small parking lot. He put the BMW in park and sat for a second preparing himself for what was coming. Knowing this was the last time they'd be alone together before he relinquished control to the company, he turned to grab her jaw and pulled her to face him. Her pretty eyes looked back at him, obviously apprehensive. Part of him wanted to comfort her, but no words came. She was going to have toughen up if she was going to work in this business.

"Don't embarrass me," he commanded, squeezing her jaw firmly. "You're tough, Leese. Now act like it. Playing the damsel in distress won't get you anywhere with these people." She listened intently, then nodded slowly to indicate understanding. He released her jaw, and watched as she smoothed her hair and straightened her jacket. She turned to look at him.

"Okay. I'm ready."


	5. Chapter 5

Lisa wasn't sure why Jackson kept his arm around her waist as they approached the bleak gray building. Perhaps to keep her from escaping…perhaps for her protection…perhaps out of possessiveness. She didn't know, but she did know she was growing oddly accustomed to his touch. Feeling his hand on her side gave her a strange sense of familiarity as she entered the unknown.

Her heart hammered as they walked through the front door into a long, empty hallway. Almost immediately Lisa noticed a change in Jackson's stance. He'd always had a slightly cocky, confident way of carrying himself, but he seemed to be walking straighter, taller, and more rigid. His face became completely emotionless, his eyes cool and clear. The only sign of emotion was his firm grip around her waist. Lisa subconsciously mimicked his vibe, wanting to do whatever it took to make her visit to this place as painless as possible. This was absolutely surreal. Yesterday she was calming Cynthia down after a particularly brutal customer had humiliated her, and today she was walking through a professional assassination headquarters. Finally stopping in front of an unmarked door, Jackson knocked twice. A deep voice from within granted entrance, and he pushed the door in.

Lisa was immediately struck by the warmth of the office. Not just in temperature, but also in general décor. Lighting was warm and dim, and the furnishings were dark cherry wood. Several volumes lined the walls, the carpets were a dark red, and all was centered around a large cherry wood desk in the center. She connected eyes with the man behind the desk. He seemed to be perhaps in his 50's, dressed in a dark suit with no tie. His salt-and-pepper hair was parted deliberately on the side, and his eyes were dark. He rose as they entered.

"Rippner," Lindberg said as he stood, his eyes transfixed on Lisa.

"Sir," Jackson responded, nodding his head slightly. He slid his hand around to Lisa's back to push her forward. "This is Lisa Reisart, the one you requested."

"I know who she is," Lindberg said dismissively, walking around the desk to approach her. Lisa felt herself begin to move backwards but Jackson's hand kept her in place. "My name is Tom Lindberg, Miss Reisart," he said, holding his hand out to her to shake. Lisa hesitated for a moment before taking it, randomly wondering how many people those hands had killed. She shook his hand firmly and looked back into his eyes. Her heart thundered in her chest at meeting yet another killer but worked at keeping her features calm.

"Lisa Reisart," she countered, noticing Jackson glancing at her out of the corner of her eye. He took his hand from her back and stepped away a little.

"Well you're even more beautiful in person, aren't you?" Lindberg said, giving her a slight smile. Disturbed by the compliment, her cheeks reddened slightly as she held his gaze. She saw Jackson stiffen slightly.

"Thank you, sir," she muttered. It felt odd to be so respectful to an assassin ringleader, but this was a man of obvious importance to this organization. She didn't want to do anything to offend him or give him cause to harm her. Which would make it all the more tricky to escape. How was she going to get out of this? Lindberg broke her thoughts by gesturing to the two guest chairs.

"Please sit down," he requested, returning to his own chair. Lisa sat down slowly, and Jackson took the seat beside her. "Now I'm hoping Rippner here has explained a bit about why I wanted to see you." It was quiet until she realized he was waiting for a response.

"A little, yes," she choked.

"I'm always on the lookout for people with particular talent, Miss Reisart. Our business requires a specific type of individual, obviously, and they're pretty hard to find. But when I see it, I don't let it pass me by. Actually, I picked Rippner here up off the street when he was eighteen years old. He wasn't much then, but I saw potential in him, and now he's been with the company for nearly a decade." Lisa glanced at Jackson while Lindberg spoke, suddenly curious about the rest of the story. He avoided her gaze. "My point being, I can recognize talent. And I see it in you." She swallowed at the comment, a little nauseated. "I hire professionals, not petty thugs. You are a professional, Miss Reisart…" He paused again and just watched her, and she worked very hard to keep her face clear of emotion. His gaze dropped to take her all in and turned appreciative as his eyes skimmed her crossed legs. Lisa looked away, thoroughly uncomfortable beneath his scrutiny. She couldn't see it, but Jackson's gaze on his superior had grown severe, obviously irritated by Lindberg's misplaced interest. A strong sense of possessiveness overtook him, and he resisted the urge to put his arm across the back of Lisa's chair. Lisa startled him by breaking the awkward moment.

"I am a professional, Mr. Lindberg, but I don't think I'm right to work for your company. I'm not a violent person, I have no record…"

"Unimportant," Lindberg retorted with a wave of his hand. "I don't want you for violent work. Women make terrible shots. You'll be doing what Rippner here does." Lisa wrinkled her brow.

"But Jackson is…" she started.

"…a manager," Lindberg finished, smirking at her familiar use of Jackson's first name. "My managers aren't involved in any actual killing, but simply making sure assassinations are carried out smoothly and discreetly. Using their powers of persuasion to get people to do what's necessary to get the job done. Sometimes that means getting a little rough, but that can be learned. Minimum charge for a UA job is $100,000, and it goes up from there. A manager gets 15% upon successful completion of a job. Plus we cover living expenses and can guarantee acquittal if caught by authorities. None of our employees have ever gone to prison." He emphasized the last sentence, seeming rather proud of the fact. Lisa just listened as he rattled off the benefits of being an assassination manager. Did he actually think throwing money at her would make her want to do this?

"I know you probably feel inadequate, particularly because your background is in hotel management, but we've observed you and we know you can handle this type of work. You certainly handled Rippner," he added. Lisa shifted in her seat as she realized that must be a reason why they wanted her. Jackson was probably one of their best men and she'd kept him from finishing a job. She felt a small boost of pride.

"And you will be trained, of course. Basic instruction takes about three months. You will learn marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, foreign language, psychology, foreign affairs… Oh and physical conditioning. You'll notice that everyone here is in top physical form. It's necessary to the job." Lisa was numb but her mind abruptly flashed to Jackson's attractive build. She realized how quiet he'd been throughout this meeting and turned to look at him. His blue eyes locked with hers, but his face gave away nothing. Damn, he was good at that. "You won't actually be sent on your first job observation until the third month. We make sure you're adequately trained before we send you out," Lindberg continued. "You'll observe several employees, but Rippner here will be your teacher, so to speak." Lisa's eyes grew wide at the statement. They expected her to spend three months with Jackson? The whole thing was ridiculous, but this was the icing on the cake.

"Jackson? But…" she mumbled.

"Yes…_Jackson_," Lindberg retorted, saying the name with a mocking tone in his voice. Jackson turned away, annoyed with her. "He has the most experience, and he's done training before. Believe me, you're learning from the best." Lindberg suddenly stood, signifying the conversation was over. "Any questions can be directed to him," he said as he walked back around his desk to shake her hand. "Welcome to the UA, Miss Reisart. I'll see you again soon." She numbly shook his hand and managed to mumble a "thank you" before she felt Jackson's hand on her back leading her out the door. That was it.

Lisa felt her knees grow weak as he wordlessly escorted her down the hallway. There was no way to get out of here. She felt like she was going to be sick. She was trapped. Slowly the hallway began to tilt…

"Jackson…" she breathed, feeling her knees begin to buckle beneath her. He noticed her sinking and quickly brought his arm around her to hold her up.

"C'mon, Leese…not here," he said sternly as he kept her moving down the hallway. He stopped at another unmarked door and pushed it in, revealing a small restroom. Lisa realized where they were and ran inside. Falling in front of the commode she began to gag and eventually vomited. Jackson came up behind and held her hair out of her face. She coughed a few times, then went to the sink to rinse out her mouth.

"Maybe you're not as tough as they think you are," he muttered. She looked at him and realized his face was showing emotion again. He mainly looked disgusted, but a bit of pity touched his eyes as well. She felt tears well in her eyes, wanting to appeal to the part of him that pitied her.

"I can't do this, Jackson. That guy is crazy. You have to get me out of here…" Suddenly all compassion left his eyes and a barely concealed rage covered his features. She took a step back, afraid of his anger.

"You don't really have a choice here, _Lisa_. Once the UA has chosen you, you're in. Being chosen to work for this company is the biggest honor you'll ever have in your whole damn life, and turning it down would be a slap in the face to these people. And they don't take slaps in the face lightly. Lindberg may seem all grandfatherly, but I assure you, he's not. Believe me, you don't want to get on his bad side." He waited for a response but she just stared at the wall beside him, her lips pressed tightly together. He softened a bit and approached her.

"Look at me, Leese," he said bringing his hands up to hold her jaw. Some anger had left his eyes but his grip was still firm. "For your own safety, go along with this. There really is no turning back at this point. You know that. Lindberg would rather see you dead than let you turn down what he considers to be a generous offer." Lisa blinked as dread began to swell in her stomach. What did he care about her safety? But he was right. Even if she managed to escape they would come after her. She would have to go on the run, move, change her name, get a new job... And what about her dad? They'd threatened him before, and they would do it again. She closed her eyes as reality struck her. She had to play along with this for now. Until she could formulate some kind of escape.

"You're right," she said softly, trying to persuade Jackson that he'd convinced her. Jackson looked suspicious at how quickly she had given in. "You're right," she repeated. "I'm in. Now what do I have to do?" He felt his heart lurch at her concession, having mixed feelings. Part of him wanted her to continue being defiant; he liked her best that way. But this was probably the best way. The determined look on her face was oddly endearing. If she had an open mind, he could show her the positive side of working for the UA. He gave her a small smile.

"Well first, I'm going to show you around the place."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jackson led her through the facility, and she was surprised how much the building had to offer. There were several offices, an indoor firing range, cafeteria, and even classrooms. She saw very few people around, which Jackson explained was because there was "a lot of business right now". People were out on jobs. And the people they did pass he didn't bother introducing her to, although they eyed her curiously. He led her through the extensive exercise facility then down a hallway to the dormitory area.

"People actually live here?" she asked.

"Temporarily," he explained. "People live here in when they're in training, and sometimes after jobs when they need to go into hiding for a while." She paused thoughtfully when they entered one of the dorm rooms.

"How does this place even _exist_? Does the government not know you're here?"

"The right people have been paid off," he said simply, walking over to sit on the bed. "This is where I'm staying right now." Her eyebrows lifted as she surveyed the room, unable to find any personal touches to give her a glimpse into Jackson's personality. She then realized she was looking at both their suitcases sitting in the corner.

"How did these get here?" she asked, rather shocked. He just smirked at her again from the bed.

"Eventually you'll learn to stop asking brainless questions, Lisa. They're here because we need them here." He rose and she headed for the door, assuming they were leaving. She turned around and realized he wasn't following her, but staring at her from beside the bed.

"What?" she asked.

"You'll be staying in here with me for a while," he replied, attempting to sound firm but with a slight uncertainty in his voice. Her eyes widened.

"What the hell for?" she spat, suddenly bristling. "There are plenty of empty rooms. It doesn't make sense to keep me in here with you." Just because she was playing along didn't mean she'd let him take advantage of her. She was silenced when Jackson approached and grabbed her, pulling her harshly against his body.

"First off, we're setting a ground rule here and now," he snapped at her. "We're going to be together for a while and I'm going to be training you. You will _not_ question every thing I tell you to do. Got it?" She still looked angry but nodded understanding. "Good," he said, softening his grip a bit. "You will be staying with me for a few days because that's procedure. New employees tend to need some time to acclimate, and many attempt escapes in their first few days here. This is meant to prevent that." He paused for a second and regarded her. "But usually…a new employee isn't a woman."

She held his gaze and realized he found the situation just as perplexing as she did. Her eyes glanced quickly over to the one bed in the corner. A chill ran down her spine. Would she have to share the bed with him? She looked back at the incredibly sexy but incredibly dangerous man that still held her by the upper arms. Although her attraction to him kind of sickened her, she found herself not repulsed by the idea of sharing a bed with him.

Jackson froze. There was that look in her eyes again. The look from the hotel last night. He suddenly felt a wave of warmth wash through him and he subconsciously dropped his gaze to her pretty mouth. She was beautiful, and they were going to be spending a lot of time together. Suddenly his mind filled scandalous possibilities. His intense blue eyes locked with hers for a long moment, and Lisa gasped, her lips parting slightly when she realized his face was moving closer…

"Rippner." A deep voice bellowed behind them, breaking the trance. Jackson released her and immediately turned around.

"Kratzer," he responded, forcing himself to smile. Kratzer was a tall man with light hair and dark eyes, dressed in black slacks and a collared gray shirt. His jaw was square and his shoulders broad. Handsome, but not nearly as striking as Jackson. Lisa assumed he was another manager. "How did the Hoskins job go?" Jackson asked him, standing directly between him and Lisa.

"Good…got a little messy there at the end, but the job's done. Pocketed 25 Gs. Not bad, eh?" Kratzer paused and looked at Lisa, a twinkle in his eye. "And what do we have here?" he chuckled, moving around to get a better look. "Damn, Rippner, not bad. I didn't know we could bring hookers in here…"

Lisa stiffened at the comment, and Jackson quickly interrupted him.

"No, this is Reisart. She's a new hire," he said, trying to hide his irritation at Kratzer's presence.

"Dammit, you serious? I'm sorry, honey, we just don't get a lot of women around here. And you two were looking all cozy, so I figured, you know…" Lisa just watched the man mumble, silently confirming to herself that this guy had nothing on Jackson. Jackson's face flushed red as Kratzer rambled. She surprised them both by stepping forward to introduce herself.

"Reisart," she asserted, shaking his hand. "I'm a new manager." She felt her stomach lurch at her own words, almost not believing they'd actually come out of her mouth. Kratzer smiled at her.

"Kratzer. Nice to meet you," he muttered quietly, obviously put off by her beauty. Jackson became annoyed when the man's gaze on her lingered.

"Well I was just in the middle of showing her the facility, so we need to be moving on. We'll catch you later," he said quickly, taking Lisa's arm and pulling her out the door. Lisa glanced at the man as they walked out. When they got further down the hallway Jackson looked over at her and realized she was smiling.

"Employee of the month, I presume?" she laughed. He couldn't help but smile at the comment.

"Yeah, he's definitely our star," he joked back. It was quiet for a moment and he realized her face had gone serious again. "Kratzer may seem harmless, but that man has done more assassinations than anyone else in this company. He's known for enjoying killing with his bare hands instead of using a weapon. For now, stay away from him, Lisa." She gulped and said nothing, wondering if anyone in this building wasn't a serial killer. Suddenly a thought came into her head.

"Jackson, what am I supposed to do about my job? My parents? They're going to panic when they realize I'm gone…"

"That will be handled," he answered, realizing it was a legitimate question. "We'll talk about it over lunch." He led her to the cafeteria area and let her step ahead of him to select a table. There were many more things to get accomplished today, but while admiring the gentle curves of her body as she walked, he realized he was really looking forward to getting her back to the room tonight.


	6. Chapter 6

Lisa's forehead broke out into a cold sweat as she followed Jackson down the hallway that evening. They'd spent the rest of the day tying up the loose ends of her life. Sending her hotel a carefully written letter requesting a sabbatical due to extreme stress at work (she knew they would grant it, although they wouldn't be happy); emailing her Dad to let him know she'd be on vacation for a few weeks. When she'd asked what she would do in a few weeks since they'd be expecting to see her, Jackson matter-of-factly said they'd deal with that when the time came. After the final letter had been sent, she demanded Jackson give her some alone time and headed for the bathroom. He reluctantly acquiesced, still following her but standing outside the room. Finally somewhat alone, she let loose of the emotions, letting the tears flow freely without an audience. Seeing her life tied up in a neat little bow had greatly disturbed her. After those letters, no one would even think to look for her for weeks. She really was trapped here. Even if she did make it through the training there was no way she could actually do the job they wanted her to do. This was lunacy, and she'd given in too quickly. She had to figure out a way out of this, even if it meant relocating and starting a new life somewhere. Even if a small part of her was intrigued at what they wanted to teach her. There had to be a way out this place, but it might take some time to figure out. How long could she keep up appearances with Jackson? He could read her like a book…He would notice if she were planning an escape. Suddenly a knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Let's go, Leese," he commanded through the door. She stood quickly and wiped her eyes. Taking a glance into the mirror, she ran her fingers through her auburn locks and straightened her outfit. Opening the door, Jackson surveyed her red eyes and blotchy cheeks. "You look like shit," he mumbled without compassion. Ignoring the dirty look she gave him he reached down for the mobile that was buzzing on his side. He turned from her as he opened the phone.

"Rippner," he said impatiently. There was a short pause. "Shit…they caught him?" A longer pause. "No, I can't. I'm a little busy right now…" he said, glancing at Lisa. She watched as his face suddenly grew angry. "No. She's not ready," he said matter-of-factly. He listened intently to whatever explanation he was being given. "I don't care, she's not ready!" Another pause, then, "Fine. We'll be down in a minute." He cursed at he snapped the phone shut and put it back at his belt, avoiding her gaze. She felt sick to her stomach again, wondering what awaited her. After a minute he looked up at her, impatience filling his eyes.

"Alright, Leese, I need you to toughen up for me, okay? We're going to the basement." He took her arm and began leading her down the hallway. She just followed, apprehensive but unsure what else to do.

"There's a basement?" He didn't answer but kept walking, obviously angry. He stopped in front of a large black door at the end of the hallway, and she realized it was one of the few he hadn't shown to her before. He sighed and turned to take her by the upper arms and brought her face close to his.

"Listen to me, Lisa. Lindberg wants you to observe an examination. He's considering it your initiation, so to speak," he paused and searched for the right words. "The guy's name is Preston. He's a former employee that went on the run and attempted to go to the Feds about us. If our back up hadn't been there to do pay-offs, the entire organization could have been jeopardized. He's been missing for weeks, and our men finally caught the son-of-a-bitch today." Lisa listened wide-eyed, terrified at the thought of what men like Jackson would do to a traitor. Jackson's grip on her shoulders tightened. "I've been asked to handle him. Whatever happens downstairs, I need you to keep it together. If you cry in front of my associates, I swear I'll kill you." She didn't respond, wishing more than anything to be back in her own little apartment in Miami. This was a nightmare. Believing she understood, he let go of her shoulders. "Think of it as a learning experience," he added and Lisa watched as his face went instantly emotionless. His face dropped expression, and his eyes went cool. She randomly wondered when he was planning on teaching her how to do that.

He opened the door and went in ahead of her. It opened to a dark cement staircase, and Lisa's nose was instantly struck with a wave of must and sweat. She followed Jackson down, fearful but trying desperately to hide it. She resisted the urge to put her hands on his shoulders for stability as they descended. At the bottom there was a long hallway with windowless doors every ten feet on both sides. There were ten doors in all, and she assumed they were all interrogation rooms. The hallway was poorly lit with cold fluorescent lighting. Jackson went to the farthest door on the right and knocked firmly. After a short pause, the door opened.

Stepping inside, Lisa quickly took in her surroundings. It was a small, dirty room with cold cement walls and floor. She saw Lindberg, Kratzer, and some other man she didn't recognize lining the walls. In the center of the room sat Preston in a wooden chair, his wrists bound behind him. There was a blindfold across his eyes. He'd obviously been badly beaten, and she could tell he was breathing heavily. She could see fresh bruises on his exposed arms and blood pouring down his cheeks. Sweat dripped down his face in the cold room. Compassion overcame her and she willed herself not to vomit again.

"Rippner," Lindberg nodded as they entered. He acknowledged Lisa with another nod, slight amusement in his eyes at the look on her face. What a sick man to think anything was funny in a situation like this. She just stared back at him, nauseated. It was his fault she was here. Lindberg suddenly spoke up.

"This is your call, Rippner. You know the drill," he said flatly. Lisa noticed the unknown man was holding a wooden bat in his hand. Her stomach lurched again at the thought of what had taken place before they'd arrived. Fighting for control, she realized the other men were leaving. They filed out one by one, but not before Lindberg gave her a dark smile on his way out. He reveled in her disgust with the situation. They slammed the door behind them, leaving her and Jackson alone with him. Lisa turned to Jackson with a pleading look, but he avoided her gaze as he approached the trembling man in the chair. She saw rage in his stance and it terrified her. Although Jackson had been somewhat patient with her these last couple days, she knew what he was capable of.

He ripped the blindfold off him, revealing blackened and swollen eyes. The man searched the room and quickly assessed Jackson and Lisa, his dark hair drenched in sweat and blood. Lisa choked at the fear in his eyes. Hearing her, Jackson glanced at her with a clenched jaw and gave a warning look, daring her to show emotion. The dark look in his eyes caused the blood to drain from her face. This was the side of Jackson she remembered most vividly. She immediately worked to clear her expression and slowly backed up against the wall for support. Jackson turned back toward the man.

"Preston, I'm Jackson Rippner, Manager of Operations. I will be handling your interrogation." He paused and the man said nothing. "Now are you aware of the allegations against you?" Jackson said forcefully. The man began to cough, a few drops of blood flying from his mouth.

"Yes, I am. And if I had the chance to do it again, I would," he rasped, looking straight into Jackson's eyes as best he could. He was visibly shaking, obviously understanding the implications of his words. Jackson paused, his face still cool.

"So you don't deny being a traitor to the entire UA organization, its members of staff, and its clients?" he continued. Lisa was surprised at how easily Jackson recited the words, like he'd done this many times before. This was being handled so formally. How often did this sort of thing happen?

"No, you bastard, I don't deny it," Preston spat. "You and this entire organization can rot in hell." Lisa instantly feared for him. What was he doing? Didn't he know better than to antagonize these people? She looked at Jackson and couldn't believe he still looked so calm. He paused for a minute and regarded the man before asking his next question.

"Do you understand the consequences of betraying the UA?" Jackson continued, still sounding like he was reciting from a book. Preston stared at the floor and said nothing, his defiance weakening. Finally, he nodded slowly.

"Good. In accordance with UA policy you are entitled to choose the manner in which your execution is carried out." Lisa closed her eyes, emotion forming a tight knot in her chest. She already knew death would probably be the man's fate, but it made her sick to hear it spoken out loud. "You have 24 hours to decide," Jackson said definitively before turning towards Lisa. He grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her toward the door with him. Kratzer and the unknown man were waiting for them outside, Lindberg apparently having left. Jackson closed the heavy door behind them.

"Formal interrogation done. He admits it and understands the punishment. I'm giving him 24 hours to make a decision," he said matter-of-factly. The unknown man's brow furrowed.

"Twenty-four hours?" he fumed, twisting the bat in his hands. "That fuckwad doesn't deserve to live another minute!" His eyes were wild, his blood lust obvious. Jackson looked annoyed.

"You know policy, Slater. We're professionals, not barbarians. Now put the damn bat away; you won't be needing it anymore. No one goes in this room for 24 hours. Got it?" Jackson eyes were intense as he stared the two men down and waited for an answer. Even though they were both were greater in stature, it was obvious they respected him. Jackson's presence commanded compliance, and they look irritated but finally agreed. Without a word he took Lisa's arm again and led her down the dark hall and up the stairs. She willed her legs to stay strong as he pulled her along, in disbelief about what she'd just witnessed. That man was going to die. They were going to kill him. Was Jackson going to be the one to do it?

Suddenly his touch made her skin crawl and she tried to rip her arm out of his grasp. He let out a low growl and roughly grabbed her hair. She yelped as he yanked her head backwards, exposing her neck to him and weakening her stance. She closed her eyes, refusing to look at him, her scalp stinging.

"I'm getting tired of babysitting you, Lisa," he whispered irritably. She could feel his hot breath on her neck. "Be a good girl. Keep this up, and I'll hand you over to Kratzer. And I don't think he'd mind that one bit, do you?" She shivered at the threat and he watched her throat as she swallowed. Oddly he found himself thinking about pressing his lips against the tender flesh. He quickly dismissed the thought. Releasing her hair he took possession of her arm again and continued to pull her down the hall towards the dormitory.

Reaching his room he pushed her inside and locked the door behind them. After flicking on the light he sighed and turned around, leaning back against the door.

"Why do you have to kill him?" she asked, her voice heavy as she sat on the bed. His blue eyes flashed at her.

"Because he's a traitor, Lisa," he replied contemptuously. "All employees sign a contract after training that their loyalty is to the company and always will be. Everything they've ever seen or heard here is confidential. The consequence for breeching that contract is death, plain and simple."

"Sounds like the mob," she mumbled. He smirked at the comment.

"I'd like to think we're a bit more civilized than the mob," he chuckled.

"This sort of thing happen often?" she prodded. His smile vanished but he didn't answer. It was silent for a few moments.

"Will you be the one to do it?" she asked softly. It took him a second to realize what she was talking about it.

"Oh…the execution? No, I'll just moderate things and one of the assassins will do it. We told you…a manager doesn't usually handle violent work. The UA likes to keep things clean and professional."

"Professional like beating a man with a bat?" she asked further, disgusted at the memory. Jackson's face filled with sick humor at the question but he said nothing.

"So what now?" she sighed, suddenly wanting to change out of the constricting professional attire. She hoped he didn't have anything else in store for them tonight. She couldn't take anything else. Jackson moved to the wooden dresser and opened the top drawer.

"Now," he began, pulling out a blue nightgown. "We go to bed. Most everyone here goes to bed early." He tossed it to her and she stared at it, incredulous.

"Where did you get this? This wasn't in my suitcase," she muttered, fingering the soft fabric.

"No…it wasn't. One of my associates retrieved most of the clothing from your apartment, so you're now fully stocked for the long haul," he said, removing his shoes. Lisa slumped over a little at his words and prayed for the nausea to go away. Her eyes then flashed at Jackson, realizing they hadn't discussed sleeping arrangements. Her heart fluttered and she was disturbed by the battle inside her concerning him. He was dark, evil, heartless…But he was also undeniable sexy, smooth, and charming. When he wanted to be. And when he would touch her, it both sickened and aroused her. She tried to shake the unsettling scandalous thoughts away. He was a dangerous man. She needed to focus on how to get out of here, not flirt with danger.

"Go get ready for bed, Leese. We have a 4:30 wake up in the morning for physical training. And I know how big of a morning person you are," he added sarcastically, removing his watch. She arose from the bed and carried the nightgown with her into the bathroom.

Finding her bathroom bag sitting on the sink, she quickly brushed her teeth and splashed water on her face, her mind moving quickly. Jackson would be sleeping tonight. Would she be able to sneak out without him knowing? Suddenly her thoughts wandered back to Preston, the man bound and bleeding and awaiting death in the basement. There was no way she could just leave him to die at the hands of these people. He may have been one of them at some point, but he'd obviously turned over a new leaf. He didn't deserve to be killed. No…she wouldn't leave without him, if at all possible.

After undressing and slipping the blue nightgown over her head, she regarded herself in the mirror. The thin straps did nothing to hide her pretty shoulders and the neckline was low enough to display her scar. The mid-thigh length also flaunted her shapely legs. It figured he would hand her this to wear to bed. What did he expect from her in this get-up?

Suddenly her mind produced an idea. She stared at herself in the mirror as she considered it. Could that work? It was very risky, but she was tired of being dragged around by Jackson, acquiescing to this awful fate. If she was going to get out of here, she had to do it soon. Giving herself one last look in the mirror, she ran a hand through her auburn locks and wiped mascara from under her eyes. This would work. It had to. Even Jackson had to have at least some weaknesses.

Her heart pounded as she emerged from the bathroom and found Jackson still fully-dressed. He sat on the bed with a notebook in his lap, scribbling furiously. He didn't look up from his writing as he began, "Okay, I'm putting together a schedule for us tomorrow…" Quickly he glanced up and did a double take at Lisa. He drank her in and shamelessly looked her up and down, unable to hide his attraction. She stood, motionless, and conflicted about what she was about to do.

"Our schedule for tomorrow?" she urged him on, approaching. He watched her saunter toward him and sit next to him on the bed.

"Uh…yes. Physical training in the morning, then breakfast, then…" he paused when he realized how close she'd brought herself to him. Their thighs were touching. He gave her a look.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, though not moving away. She gave him a small smile and brought a hand up to touch his cheek. He jerked away from her touch, confused. She looked hurt, her pretty lips forming a small pout.

"What? I just thought that since we'll be staying together for a while that maybe we could…" she started. He immediately stood and moved away from her, an incredulous look on his face. She couldn't be serious. How could she possibly want him after what he'd put her through? She had to be up to something.

"Enough funny business, Lisa," he commanded. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but stop it." Even as he spoke he couldn't help but scan her body with his eyes. She looked incredible. "And put something else on. We brought your bathrobe."

"I don't want to put my bathrobe on," she said softly, rising to move toward him again. He backed away from her slightly as she approached. She placed a hand on his chest and pressed her body against him. Her touch caused a sudden heat to flow through him. He didn't withdraw from her but seemed suspicious but also incredibly aroused. "I don't think you want me to either," she cooed. He quickly grabbed a hold of her wrist and placed her arm at her side.

"You don't want to go there, Leese. Believe me," he said, wanting her to stop but also desperately wanting her to continue. This was dangerous. Lindberg would not like this. Bringing her hands up she grasped the collar of his jacket she pulled his face down close to hers, her heart pounding. Looking into those clear blue eyes she almost lost herself, then reminded herself why she was doing this to begin with.

"Jackson…I want to go there," she whispered. He felt his resolve weakening as his body responded to her seduction. She was beautiful and as sick as it was, she wanted him. What was wrong with enjoying her tonight? He quickly dismissed all the reasons in his mind not to do this and brought his arms around to pull her tighter against him. He then leaned forward and let his lips press against hers.

Lisa gasped at the kiss and the electricity that suddenly coursed through her body. Jackson kissed her hot and deep, his mouth consuming hers. She couldn't help but equally return his fire. His kiss grew a little rough as he became more aroused and she withdrew a little. He broke away slightly and made eye contact with her, his blue eyes searching hers. She yelped as she felt his hand grab her hair and pull her head back. He lowered his lips to her neck and she felt his wet mouth on her skin. She couldn't help but moan slightly as he grazed her neck with his teeth, leaving little bite marks in her flesh. Her fingers began to entwine in his hair. Lisa felt herself weakening and worked to regain her resolve. This was her seduction, dammit. She had to regain control. Her eyes opened and turned to the small lamp sitting on the nightstand.

Just then Jackson brought his head back up, grabbed her and threw her roughly against the wall. It frightened her at first, afraid she'd made him angry, but then he pressed himself up against her and reclaimed her lips. Chills ran through her as his hands smoothed up her hips and sides. She glanced to her right and realized he'd pressed her up against the wall right next to the nightstand. Still maintaining the kiss, she slowly reached over to the lamp. She clicked it off, leaving them in total darkness. Jackson took this as encouragement and she felt his hand slide over one of her breasts.

"Lisa…" he moaned as he squeezed. She groaned softly at the intimate touch and melted inwardly at the soft way he'd said her name. But she willed herself to continue with her plan. Her hand still on the lamp, she wrapped her fingers around it. This had to work. Either it would work, or he would kill her. She felt like her heart would pound out of her chest.

She abruptly brought the lamp up and hit him over the head. She screamed as it crashed against him, terrified at what she'd just done. Awaiting retribution, she felt Jackson slump to the floor in the darkness. She stood gasping for a few seconds, in shock that it had actually worked. She then stepped over him and ran to the bathroom to flick on the light, terrified that he would wake up before she escaped. Using the light streaming in from the bathroom, she quickly dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, and slid on some gym shoes. She glanced over at Jackson who was still unconscious on the floor. If he had a weapon on him, she would need it.

She approached him carefully and immediately grabbed his cell phone, praying it was actually charged this time. She then searched his jacket and finally came across a switchblade tucked into the inner pocket. She put both objects in the pocket of her sweatshirt. Having everything she needed, she took a lingering look at this handsome face and felt a twinge of guilt at having tricked him. Jackson hated dishonesty above all else and he would be furious when he woke up. No matter. She would be long gone by then. Taking one last look around the room, she unlocked the door and slid into the empty hallway. Scanning the area, she decided she was alone and headed straight for the basement. She wasn't leaving without Preston.


	7. Chapter 7

Lisa slowly crept down the hallway, extremely alert, her eyes wide. She realized she was breathing heavily and willed herself to relax. Almost instantly she regretted taking this risk. If apprehended, not only would Jackson be furious, but Lindberg might be as well. She could very well end up like the bound and bleeding man in the basement. She gulped as she finally came in view of the basement door. No, she didn't deserve this fate and neither did Preston. Finding fresh courage, she went quickly to the door, opening it very slowly. It creaked a bit anyway, and she quickly scanned the hallway for passers-by. She couldn't believe how quiet it was. Satisfied, she entered the stairwell, the now familiar musty scent reaching her nostrils.

The hall was dim but lit just enough to see a few steps ahead of her. Approaching Preston's door, she found the door oddly unlocked. She shook as she pushed open the door. Would he even be willing to attempt an escape with her? Part of her would feel braver if someone else was trying to get out of here with her. Preston appeared the same way he had when she'd left him earlier, bruised bleeding and bound in the chair, but this time his head was bowed.

"Hey!" she whispered to him. He didn't respond. Perhaps he was sleeping. She carefully approached him and tried again. "Preston?" When he still didn't stir she reached out to shake him. She instantly withdrew her hand in horror. He felt lukewarm and lifeless. He was dead. She began to back up towards the door, her legs barely keeping her steady. Although mortified, she couldn't tear her eyes from him. Did he die from internal injuries from the beating? He must have. She couldn't imagine the men would've defied Jackson's orders. She felt tears welling in her eyes as she realized she was alone in this. How the _hell_ was she going to get out of here?

She worked to control her emotions. She'd started this, and she had to finish it one way or another. Either she figured out an escape or they kill her or still try to make her one of them. The familiar nausea threatened her insides, terror closing around her heart.

Suddenly she had a thought_. Jackson's cell phone_! Ripping it from her pocket she flipped it open, only to realize it was locked with a pass code. Apparently Jackson had learned from last time. Her heart sank and she threw the phone away in frustration, hearing it clack against the floor. _Shit_. She should be more careful about noise. Stepping quietly, she headed up the stairwell. She pressed her ear to the door before opening it. She heard a few footsteps, but no voices. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Jackson must still be unconscious. _Thank God_.

She waited for several minutes after the footsteps had passed to make sure the hall would be clear. Slowly pushing the door open she poked her head out…

Suddenly her hair was grabbed and she was yanked from behind the door into the hallway. Screeching from the pain, she tried to turn her head to identify her attacker. Kratzer's dark eyes looked menacingly down at her.

"Well, what do we have here?" he chuckled, keeping a firm grip. A small part of her was relieved it wasn't Jackson, although her scalp screamed from the pain. It felt like he was ripping her hair out. "Huh?" he continued.

"Please…" was all she could muster as her fingers ripped at his hand, trying to loosen his hold. Suddenly he threw her to the ground by her hair, finally releasing her. She fell to the floor weakly and held a hand against her scalp, almost certain she was bleeding. Kratzer regarded her curiously.

"We have a runaway here?" he muttered. "Well that's not good, honey…" She refused to look at him, wanting to bolt down the hallway but knowing it would be pointless. Her heart thundered as she considered the consequences of her actions. "How'd you get away from Rippner?" He waited, then grew angry when she ignored his question. He reached down to grab her arms and pulled her up to face him, his teeth clenched. She gasped at the darkness of his eyes, offhandedly noticing his foul breath. This was not the big buffoon she'd first met several hours ago outside Jackson's room. "I said…how'd you get away from Rippner?" he seethed.

"I…I left him in the dormitory," she whispered, wishing her voice didn't sound so shaky.

"You just walked out of there?" he asked, his grip still tight. Her mind moved quickly, trying to formulate a way to talk herself out of this.

"Yeah…He asked me to check on Preston to make sure no one had messed with him," she lied, praying it sounded plausible. Kratzer considered her, his grip lessening. If Rippner really had sent her on this errand, he would be pissed that Kratzer had roughed her up.

"Well? What about Preston? Did you check on him?" he asked.

"He's dead," she spat, trying to sound cold as she returned his gaze. Kratzer looked instantly annoyed.

"No shit? Well…that sucks. That takes all the fun out of it. That bastard deserved to be torn apart after what he tried to pull. Just glad I don't have to clean up the mess," he said, seemingly relaxing. He let go of her arms and paused for a minute.

"Well…we'd better get you back to the room. Don't want Rippner getting worried about you." He took her arm firmly and began leading her back toward the dormitory. She walked stiffly, terrified at what would happen once they reached the room. He felt her resistance and misinterpreted it.

"Ahh…you don't like Jackson, eh? Those baby blues don't do anything for ya?" She pressed her lips together. "Well, we could see about getting you reassigned. I'd be happy to train you." He grinned widely and glanced over at her. She felt bile rise to the back of her throat. "Would you like that?" When she didn't respond he stopped and pulled her to face him again, uncomfortably close. His foul breath filled her nostrils and she closed her eyes in disgust. "We'd have a really great time…" he murmured as his hands glided down her arms. Suddenly her self-defense mechanism kicked in. She felt an adrenaline rush and kneed him square in the groin. He doubled over in pain as she bolted down the hallway.

"Bitch!" he hollered as he cradled the offended area. Lisa sprinted away from him, looking back to make sure he wasn't following her. Her sprint was abruptly halted by a solid form standing in her way. Looking up, her eyes locked with Jackson Rippner's. She froze in shock.

"Hello, Leese." His face was calm but his eyes were livid. Instantly she screamed and clawed to get out of his grasp. Growling he grabbed hold of her and threw her violently against the wall. Lisa weakened as the back of her head smacked the concrete, and she began to shrink to the floor. Jackson watched her with cold eyes as she finally lost consciousness.

"Rippner?" Kratzer hollered from down the hallway, limping toward him. "That little bitch kicked me in the nuts." Jackson avoided eye contact with him and kept his gaze on Lisa. Damn, his head hurt. He brought a hand up to rub the large bump that had formed.

"Well you shouldn't have been molesting her," he said irritably. Kratzer straightened in defense.

"Dammit, Rippner, I didn't touch her. I was just walking her back to your room after she'd checked on Preston like you told her…" he rambled. Jackson cocked his head at the statement, silently impressed that Lisa had the wits about her to make up a believable lie. Also, he found himself glad that Kratzer didn't know that Lisa had outsmarted him. He'd have to make sure no one found out. "I thought I was doing you a favor," Kratzer continued. Jackson rolled his eyes as he knelt down to gather Lisa in his arms.

"Thanks, Kratzer," he said sarcastically. "Next time try to keep your mitts off my trainee. She's an AU employee, not some slut you pick up in a club. So don't underestimate her." He stood, Lisa cradled in his arms.

"Obviously," Kratzer muttered, bringing a hand down to the offended area. Jackson wordlessly turned away from him and started down the hallway. He looked down at the lifeless form in his arms and noticed how peaceful she looked. Well, that wouldn't last for long.

_

_

_

Lisa awoke, her head pounding. _Where am I?_ she thought, looking hazily around the room. A familiar musty scent hit her nostrils as she realized where she was. She surveyed the dirty cement walls and the solid metal door in front of her. Her stomach clenched and she immediately began to struggle. _Shit_. Her wrists were tied behind her and her legs tied together to the wooden chair. She choked with fear when realization hit. Jackson had caught her, and he would undoubtedly want revenge for what she did to him. Her mouth dry and her heart pounding, she pictured Preston in the same position as her right before he was beaten to death. She closed her eyes and tried to brace herself for what was coming. Her mind moved quickly. She couldn't imagine the company would let him kill her, but there were worse things than death. Refusing to think about it she struggled against the ropes again, hoping for any feeling of looseness, to no avail. She was a sitting duck.

Time passed slowly and she wondered what time it was. Did she sleep through the night? Was it morning? She didn't want Jackson to come but the anticipation was almost worse. Damn, her head hurt.

After what seemed like an eternity the door started to creep open. Lisa immediately stiffened and felt her body begin to shake. Stepping smoothly in, Jackson shut the door behind him. His face was cool and controlled, and he approached her slowly.

"Have a nice nap, Leese?" he asked casually, his hands in his pockets. She despised when he did this. He hated dishonesty but he himself could be such a phony. Although fearful, she felt anger well up within her.

"Did you?" she spat back at him. Instantly angry, he went to her quickly and gave her a hard slap across the face. She couldn't help but cry out in pain, and she immediately tasted blood. She slowly turned her head back to him. He was livid.

"You think you're so smart, don't you?" he growled. "With your little getaway plan. You're _dense_, Lisa. The only way you're going to get out of here is either we let you go or we kill you. Stop trying to plan something. It's useless." Her eyes flashed at him.

"I'm dense? You're the one who fell for it, _Jack_," she growled back, wanting to cut his ego. Another smack across the face. Lisa winced in pain, but wasn't satisfied. She was probably going to die here eventually anyway. Why not get it over with?

"You're a big man, aren't you, Jackson? Smacking a woman around while she's tied to a chair. Aren't you the shit," she egged him on. Jackson's features were covered in rage, but he paused to regard her for a minute. He quickly pulled the switchblade from his pocket that she'd stolen from her earlier.

"Have it your way," he snarled as he approached her with the knife. Lisa closed her eyes and froze, waiting to feel the blade sink into her flesh. Instead she felt it cut through the ropes on her hands, then her ankles. Before she could react he grabbed her out of the chair and jerked her against him.

"You're a little whore, you know that?" he whispered harshly, his breath hitting her with hard puffs. She bristled at the comment and began to fight against him. But she was weak from her bondage and he easily grabbed a hold of her again.

"Let me go!" she screamed, desperate to get away from him. His closeness sickened her. He gave her a mirthless laugh and threw her forcefully to the floor. She yelped slightly as she hit the hard concrete. Jackson quickly went after her again, lifted her up, and slammed her against the wall. He wrapped his fingers around her delicate throat and squeezed, his jaw clenched.

Lisa chocked at the sudden loss of air. Her mouth dropped open and she struggled against his hold.

"Ahh, yes…a little whore," he seethed into her ear. "Uses her body to get what she wants." His blue eyes almost looked amused as he watched her struggle. He could feel her weakening, and he quickly withdrew his hand before she passed out. She fell to the floor and gasped when he released her. He paused for a minute, wanting to twist the blade deeper into her heart.

"Probably what got you raped," he added, his blue eyes narrowed. Lisa inwardly flared at the comment, her strength suddenly returning. Livid, she threw herself at him. Jackson stepped back in surprise at her intense reaction and had to grab her wrists before she clawed his eyes out. He regarded her inflamed green eyes and saw tears welling in them.

Lisa's heart clenched and she willed herself not to cry, but it was too late. She hated him. And she hated that he was always able to push the right buttons.

Jackson felt an alien twinge of guilt as he saw the tears flow down her cheeks. _The little bitch deserves it for what she tried to pull_, he reasoned. He'd never admit even to himself that she had bruised his ego by seducing him only as a ploy. He brought his face down close to hers, his rage having lessened.

"Don't…_ever…_do that to me again," he growled. Although his eyes expressed pure hatred, Lisa couldn't help but notice the slightest hint of hurt in his voice. She blinked as she contemplated that she'd somehow hurt him by what she'd done back in his bedroom. Jackson didn't have feelings…did he? He suddenly released her and moved back, stepping back into controlled mode.

"Lisa, do you understand the allegations against you?" he recited, ever the professional. Lisa blinked at him but said nothing. "You are accused of attempting to go AWOL and abandon the UA." She just watched him, stunned. Where was he going with this? "Do you understand the consequences of your actions?" he continued. Her insides clenched. There was some kind of formal punishment for this? Were they going to kill her?

"Jackson…" she whispered, her chest heaving, terrified of what he would say next. She noticed a slight faltering in his eyes at the sound of his name, but he quickly regained composure.

"You are sentenced to three days in solitary confinement." With that he turned to leave. She stood in shock for a minute then ran after him when she realized he was leaving her here.

"Jackson," she pleaded. "You can't just leave me down here…" There was nothing in the cold room but the wooden chair. No toilet, no bed, no food, no water. His blue eyes flashed at her, a hint of regret set deep in their coldness. "You will be provided with a bucket and some water," he mumbled, then turned around fully to face her. "I'll see you in a few days, Leese." And he was gone. Hearing him lock the door firmly behind him, Lisa sank to the floor and sobbed.


	8. Chapter 8

Lisa awoke with a start. Her body aching from sleeping on the cold cement floor, she pushed herself up. She wondered what time it was and how long she'd been asleep. She assumed it'd only been a few hours since Jackson had left. Great. Only 69 more hours to go. Surveying her surroundings, she realized that someone had placed some items in the room when she'd been asleep. Rushing over to the small pile, she found a large bucket, several bottles of water, and…a blanket? She grabbed it eagerly and pulled it to her, reveling in its softness and warmth. One inhalation and she realized it smelled like Jackson. She hadn't realized before how well she knew his scent. Pleasant, warm, masculine. He must have left this for her. She balked at the tiny gesture of kindness. It definitely didn't make up for him leaving her here. Wrapping herself in the beige fleece, she sank to the floor and felt tears well in her eyes again. Solitary confinement wasn't the punishment she'd been expecting, but she supposed it was better than a beating or being handed over to Kratzer. As much as she distrusted Jackson, she'd certainly pick being with him over anyone else she'd met in this building. Oddly, he seemed the least sadistic or crazy.

Time passed slowly. She tried to sleep as much as possible to get the time to pass, but most of the time sleep eluded her. So she let her mind wander. She thought about her Dad, wondered what he was doing and if he was worried about her. Probably. He always worried about her. She smiled softly at the thought_. The only man a girl can trust is her daddy_, she thought to herself. She thought about the Lux and how things were running there without her. Cynthia was probably pulling her hair out with not being able to reach Lisa. The letter Jackson had sent on her behalf gave specific instructions not to attempt contact due to Lisa's supposed extreme stress and needing a healthy break. Lisa cringed. Cynthia was her friend, and probably felt abandoned.

She pictured her little apartment in Miami. It was the first place she'd lived in completely by herself, and she reveled in its solitude. It was decorated to her particular taste and she loved having her own little home. It was her only oasis amongst the stress of her job and the constant worry of her parents. She missed her cozy bed and the long soaks in her large bathtub. Quickly her mind flashed to the last time she'd taken a bath in her apartment, when Jackson had shown up and completely turned her world upside down. She was certain he had come to kill her that night, and part of her wished he had.

Her thoughts stayed on Jackson. She pictured him, with his trim and masculine build, clothed in always perfectly tailored suits. The sharp cut of his jaw, his full lips, dark hair that fell into his eyes…oh…those _eyes_… Eyes that could express warmth one minute and malice the next. She offhandedly ran her tongue across the cut in her inner cheek he had caused when he'd slapped her. To her, he was like a delicious poison. He could be incredibly sexy…his voice, his face, his charm, his _power_…but it was all a lure to a trap. He'd captivate you, then he'd kill you.

Sighing softly Lisa curled into a ball on the hard floor, surrounded by Jackson's aroma. He'd kissed her…

She felt her stomach clench at the memory. It'd been the first time she'd let a man get that close to her in over two years. She'd had ulterior motives for seducing him, but she'd been surprised to find herself thrilled by his touch. Although he'd been rough with her, his hands sliding down her body had been so gentle, as if he reveled in her. He'd made her dizzy with his kisses and his hands, and she almost didn't have enough willpower to continue with her plan. Lisa wondered how things would've been different if she'd let him make love to her. She was mostly glad she hadn't, especially because he'd quickly revealed his sadistic side again by locking her in this little room. She had to remember what he was and not think about how he made her feel. This was the man that had threatened her and her Dad's lives, and had stolen her from her own home and forced her into this situation. Why did that seem so long ago?

Minutes turned into hours. Lisa thought, prayed, stretched, hummed to herself. When she found herself drifting off to sleep again, she was grateful for the escape. At times she wondered if she was going crazy. She dreamt, but everything was choppy and incoherent. Time moved so slowly. With no clock and no window, there was no way to keep track of time. She wondered what Jackson would do without her for a few days. Did he go on a job? Would he charm some other young unsuspecting thing just like he'd done to her? She wondered if he had been punished for letting her escape. Did they force him to put her in here?

Certain at least two days had gone by, she longed for a hot shower. Her stomach growled angrily, and she forced herself not to think of food. She drank some more water and prayed for it to be over soon. She couldn't wait for Jackson to show up at her door. At this point, she longed for any human contact, even his. _Yell at me, hit me, kiss me… Just make me feel _real_ again!_

Finally on the third day she awoke slowly and realized that the large metal door had been cracked open. She stared at it, wide-eyed. Was she dreaming again? Is it really over? Standing on aching and shaky legs, she approached it carefully, and discovered it really was unlocked. _Thank God_!

She poked her head out curiously and found no one. Leaving the blanket and bucket in the room, she padded down the hallway and up the stairs. She listened at the door to the hallway and heard nothing. She opened the door and entered the dark, empty hallway. It must be nighttime. For a second she considered trying to slip out an outside door undetected, but realized how physically and mentally weakened she was. She was not prepared to make an escape. All she wanted right now was a bath and a hot meal.

She was thankful the hallway was empty because she could only imagine what she looked like after being locked in a cement room for three days without a shower. Shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself and started toward the dormitory.

She didn't bother knocking when she reached Jackson's room. Part of her knew he wouldn't be there anyway. The room was dark and she felt herself relax as her eyes rested on the large bed in the corner. She longed to feel its comforting softness, but first she needed a bath. She flicked on the light and noticed that the lamp on the nightstand had been replaced. Going to the dresser, she pulled out a pair of fresh pink panties, a white long-sleeved t-shirt, and heather gray pajama pants.

She entered the sparkling clean bathroom and regarded herself in the mirror. Her face was paled and there were dark circles under her eyes from lack of quality sleep. She could tell she'd lost a few pounds too. Her hair was a greasy mess and she desperately need to brush her teeth. So she went to work. While her bubble bath filled, she brushed her teeth for a solid two minutes and rinsed with mouthwash. After stripping off her fetid clothing, she sank gratefully into the lavender-scented hot water. It soothed her aching body and she relished its warmth. She lathered and rinsed her body twice and scrubbed her scalp with lavender shampoo. She rubbed her face raw with her apricot-scrub face wash, and then shaved her legs and underarms.

After toweling off she slathered herself with scented lotion and pulled on her comfortable pajamas. Renewed, she slid under the heavy comforter and reveled in its softness. It seemed odd for her to feel so at ease in Jackson's bed, but she did. Her body soaked in the comfort and she breathed in his scent. Soon she was drifting off to the best sleep she'd had in days.

_

_

_

_

Jackson dragged into his room about an hour later, utterly exhausted, longing for his bed. He flicked on the light as he set down his satchel bag, then stopped when he saw Lisa cuddled under the covers. She was out cold; she didn't even flinch when the light was turned on. He eyed her curiously, then remembered that he'd asked Slater to unlock her door tonight. He sighed and approached her.

Her skin was pale and her face looked thinner, but she looked adorable wrapped up in a little ball under the thick blankets. Wondering if she was ill, he pressed a hand to her cheek to check for fever. She surprised him by leaning into his touch while she slept. He felt another twinge of guilt at having caused her to be in this state. But she deserved it, didn't she? He ran his eyes down the length of her body and realized he was pleased to see her again. He'd decided to do some surveillance of a potential target when he discovered he'd be without Lisa for a few days. Around day two he realized that he missed her, and it angered him. She was a thorn in his side and caused him nothing but grief. But he missed her. He'd let his mind wander back to what it had been like to kiss her before she'd completely ruined everything by that damned escape attempt. She'd been so soft and had smelled so sweet it made him lightheaded.

He'd been with many women throughout his lifetime. Beautiful, sexy, powerful women. But no one had ever affected him like Lisa did. Something about her struck him deeper. She wasn't just another trainee or a random fuck with one of the women that threw themselves at him. He could get sex whenever he wanted, but the willing women usually sickened him, no matter how attractive they were. But Lisa challenged him, which intensified his desire for her. Part of him just wanted to fuck her and get it over with, but he knew it wouldn't be that simple. Not with him training her. It would add gasoline to an already flaming situation.

He ran a hand through his hair and realized she was probably starving. She'd need some meat on her bones if they were actually going to start training soon. Lindberg was already pissed she'd been here for nearly a week having barely learned a thing. He was quickly out the door to get her something to eat.

_

_

_

_

Lisa awoke slowly to Jackson moving about the room. She sleepily ran her eyes over him, and was surprised to see him dressed fairly casually. He had on dark jeans and an untucked black button-up shirt. It gave a different air about him, making him seem more like a regular guy and less liked a trained assassination manager. She felt like she should be anxious at his presence, but it brought more relief than anything else. She was just pleased for human contact, and she wasn't in the state of mind or body to do anything to anger him anyway. He turned to look at her, realizing she was awake. She looked endearing propped up on the bed, her hair mussed.

"I brought you soup," he said coolly, walking over to hand her a large brown mug. "It should still be hot. I don't need you getting sick, and you might vomit if you eat solid food right now." She held his gaze as he came toward her, surprised at the gesture. It almost felt like he meant it as a truce. It felt like something had changed between them, but she wasn't sure what.

"Thanks," she said softly as she took it. It smelled amazing. Taking a small sip she realized it was some kind of lobster bisque. It was delicious, but right now any food would taste like ambrosia to her. After drinking most of it, she looked up at him and realized he was watching her, his expression indiscernible as usual. He sat down in a chair across from the bed.

"Lisa, this has to stop. You're here for a purpose, and it isn't to keep fighting with me or trying to escape," he said firmly. "I'm supposed to be training you, and so far we haven't gotten anything accomplished. That makes us both look bad," he added irritably. He didn't need to do anything else to tarnish his reputation around here. "Tomorrow after you've gotten some of your strength back we'll get started on the schedule I made for us a few days ago." She listened attentively, and her shoulders sank a little in defeat. The fight in her was slipping away, and it worried her. He was stripping it away.

Jackson rose and approached her, sitting on the bed next to her. He brought a hand up to her chin to make her look at him, unexpectedly overcome by her sweet smell. Her beautiful green eyes watched him and caused a tightening in his chest. It was annoying how kissing her a few days ago had awaked his senses to every move she made. Pausing for a minute, he considered what he was about to say.

"Listen to me," he said. "In about two weeks your dad is going to be expecting to hear from you. And we don't want him getting worried and contacting the police." He paused again. "Give me the next two weeks. Go along with your training without fighting me tooth and nail. If I'm pleased with your progress by that time, we'll arrange a way for you to be in contact with him." Her heart leapt at this, but she worked to keep her expression blank. He took his hand away from her chin and sat back, awaiting her response. She stared at her lap for a long moment before looking up at him.

"Do I get to _see_ him, or just talk to him on the phone?" she asked. He hesitated.

"Well that depends…" he started. Her eyes flashed angrily.

"Either I get to see him in person, or I continue to be a pain in your ass," she said forcefully, crossing her arms across her chest. He blinked at her and his expression grew irritated. Maybe she wasn't as docile as she appeared.

"Either you quit being a pain in my ass, or I'll lock you back in the basement," he spat back, knowing he would never actually do that to her again. Her expression faltered a bit at this, but she still seemed determined. He knew he'd have to compromise with her or she wouldn't back down. "We'll see what we can work out, Leese. I can't make any promises. But attempt another escape, and the deal's off." She uncrossed her arms slowly. That seemed to satisfy her. He offered his hand. "We have a deal?" he asked. She eyed his hand warily, afraid of what the next two weeks would hold. Would he really let her see her parents? Jackson never lied. Finally she shook his hand.

"Deal," she answered, her green eyes moist.

"Peachy," he sighed as he rose and headed for the bathroom. Lisa finished off the rest of her soup and rested back on her pillow. She still felt like she could sleep for days. Soon Jackson came barreling back into the bedroom, his blue eyes angry. She instantly sat up as he approached.

"Why did you leave your nasty clothing on my bathroom floor?" he growled at her. She blinked at him but said nothing. Was he serious? He grew irritated when she didn't respond. "Well?" he continued. He _was_ serious. She tried to stifle a smile, but she couldn't help it. Of course Jackson would be a clean freak. "You think this is funny?" Her smile widened.

"I'm sorry, Jackson…" she said softly. He didn't find this amusing, but his heart twisted at the sight of her grin. He hadn't seen a real smile from her since the red eye. Her whole face lit up when she smiled.

"That's why there's a _hamper_ next to the sink. Use it next time," he commanded, turning back towards the bathroom and slamming the door behind him. Lisa laughed silently at the exchange. She supposed if they were going to be roommates, things like this would come up. Giving it a little thought, it struck her as awkward that they had reached a compromise. She was so used to being at war with him, it would be weird to attempt to get along. Her mind flashed back to the first time she'd met him at the airport. He'd been oozing charm. Was any of that part of him real?

Jackson opened the door and entered wearing his apparently usual pajamas, a plain white t-shirt and boxers. She instantly averted her eyes when she saw him, embarrassed. She supposed this was his room; he probably didn't feel any need to wear something more substantial to bed just for her sake. Stealing a peek as he walked over and set the alarm clock, she took in the sight of his toned arms and flat abdomen. She closed her eyes and tried to remind herself why it was sick to be attracted to him. She flinched when she felt him sit on the bed.

"Move over," he muttered. Lisa scrambled as far to the other side of the bed as she could, avoiding his gaze. He looked down at her, slightly amused as he slid under the covers next to her. "Now don't try anything. I'm tired," he said when he flicked off the light. He smiled when he heard her gasp in the darkness, indignant.

They lay still for several minutes. Lisa felt her heart pounding, and she willed herself to sleep. But sleep wouldn't come; she was wide awake. They weren't touching but she could feel his body heat radiating beneath the covers. And she could tell by his breathing that he wasn't asleep either.

"When are we getting up tomorrow?" she whispered. She heard his head turn toward her against his pillow.

"Six. I decided to give us a little extra time since it's so late," he answered.

"Oh," she said softly, unsure how she felt about the pillow talk. This was certainly a situation she never predicted she'd be in. But for some reason her heart wouldn't stop its intense beating, and all she could think about was closing the small gap between them beneath the covers. She wondered if her time in confinement had made her crazy. Quickly she realized she'd never heard his head moved back to its original position on the pillow. He must still be facing her.

Suddenly she felt his hand begin to slide over her neck and squeeze gently. Fearful and confused, she struggled against his hand.

"Calm down, Leese," Jackson whispered into her ear. "I'm not going to hurt you. Just relax." She stopped squirming and realized the gentle squeezing was just to keep her from moving away from him, not to harm her. She felt his nose press to her temple as he breathed her in.

She smelled so sweet, like lavender with a hint of vanilla. He knew this was a bad idea, but she was absolutely irresistible to him, beautiful and soft and in his bed. He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple then moved his lips lower, kissing her lightly on the ear. He smiled as he felt a shiver move through her, and her pulse quickened in her throat beneath his hand. Sliding his lips gently up her face, he placed another kiss on her cheek. She surprised him by turning her face toward him. He hesitated for a second, a chill running through him when he realized she wanted this as much as he did. Then he lowered completely and took her lips.

Her heard her gasp softly as he kissed her, and he withdrew his hand from her throat and brought himself more on top of her. She brought her hands up to hold his upper arms, relishing his taut muscles. Jackson's kisses were rough but hot, and she brought her tongue up to meet his. Catching his bottom lip in her teeth she bit him gently, and she heard him groan softly. He left her lips and kissed down to her neck, kissing and sucking on her flesh. Running her fingers through his hair, she arched back slightly to give him better access.

She felt his hand slide under the bottom of her t-shirt and lightly touch the skin of her stomach. He continued to kiss her neck then brushed his hand over her breast, realizing she had no bra on. She sucked in a breath at the touch then gasped when he began to squeeze her. He paused for a minute then quickly brought his hands down and pulled her shirt over her head in one swift move.

The cold air hit her flesh but she was instantly warmed again when he covered her with his hands. Bringing his face to her breasts he gentled nuzzled her. Her body went cold again when she felt him pull away from her. She heard him turn in the darkness.

"What are you doing?" she whispered intensely, her voice shaky and aroused.

"I want to see you," he said gruffly, flicking on the light and turning back toward her. Lisa unconsciously covered herself, suddenly self-conscious under his scrutiny. Making eye contact with him, she saw the arousal in his eyes and suddenly had second thoughts, the light bringing her back to reality a little. Paying her arms across her breasts no mind, he lowered his head again and pulled her hands away easily. She was just as perfect as he thought she'd be. Taking in the sight of her beautiful naked body, he started placing small kisses on her breasts. He realized Lisa has stiffened a little and it bothered him. He brought his head up slightly and found himself looking straight at the faded scar on her chest. He hesitated and looked up at her face. She looked aroused but uncertain, her chest heaving with heavy breaths.

He sighed and placed a small kiss on her scar, then looked up at her again. He was no rapist. It was the lowest form of human life that ever existed. Even though Lisa seemed compliant, he didn't want to make her do anything she didn't want to. He had no interest in forcing a woman to have sex with him.

"Leese…" he said, bringing himself up to face her, his blue eyes piercing her. "Do you want me to stop?"

She seemed surprised at the question, but hesitated. Did she? Her body begged her to continue, but could she live with herself afterwards?

"Lisa?" he urged her on. She ran her eyes across him, drinking in his scent, his taut body, and finally his clear blue eyes.

"No…" she answered softly, bringing her hands up to pull his face closer to hers again. "Please don't stop."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N Happy holidays, everyone! I wanted to get this chapter finished and posted before Christmas. My gift to you, so I hope you enjoy! As usual, feedback is appreciated. 


	9. Chapter 9

Jackson hesitated, his handsome brow furrowed. He took in the sight of her flushed beautiful face, delicate neck, cascading auburn locks… He wanted to take her right there, but she was making it too easy. He'd fantasized about this since he first laid eyes on her, right? Lisa Reisart, willing and in his bed? What was stopping him?

Her eyes grew confused when he didn't continue, and she broke eye contact, suddenly uneasy. Jackson sighed and leaned in and gave her a brief but sensual kiss, then blinked as he considered what he was going to say.

"Lisa…"

Suddenly there was a firm knock at the door. They both froze and looked at each other, and Jackson flew off of her and went to the door. Lisa quickly covered herself with the blankets and shrank back against the pillows. Was it normal to get visitors at this hour?

Upon opening the door, Jackson found nothing but a plain manila envelope resting on the floor.

"Dammit," he muttered, bending down to pick it up. A manila envelope at his door meant a job. _What the hell?_ He wasn't supposed to get another job for a couple months, at least until Lisa had been further along with her training. He ripped it open and began to scan the pages.

His back was still to her, so Lisa took the opportunity to slip her shirt back on. Jackson's body language seemed angry and he was pretty intent on the packet that had been left for him. Obviously, the mood had passed. _Probably for the best anyway._ As her heart rate began to slow she started to get her bearings again. They'd almost had sex. She'd practically begged him for it. While the idea still appealed to her on some level, it sickened her on another. What the hell was wrong with her? She hugged her knees to her chest and sighed, relieved that they hadn't gone through with it.

Upon hearing her Jackson whipped around and saw she'd put her shirt back on. He blinked then glanced back down to the papers in his hand.

"We're leaving tomorrow," he stated. Lisa's eyes went wide.

"What? Why?" He walked back over to her and handed her the papers.

"Assignment details. Get used to the formatting," he sighed, sitting on the bed next to her. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Lisa skimmed the pages quickly.

"Thomas Warner…Scotland…assassination target?" She lifted her head and gave him a questioning stare. She felt a tickle in her stomach as she looked at him. His hair was adorably mussed and in his eyes.

"Warner is the potential target I'd been tracking before I was assigned to train you. You can see on the sheet…" he gestured to a certain paragraph. "He is the head of a human trafficking business based out of Texas. We were hired by Amnesty International to take him out."

"Amnesty International?" she asked, shocked. "Isn't that a…"

"Human rights organization. Right," he finished for her. "Apparently the court system couldn't get a conviction on him and he went free. So Amnesty International is taking matters into their own hands. They want him taken out." He paused and looked at her. "We don't just assassinate 'good' people, Leese," he added with a smirk. She glared at him.

"But why do we have to leave tomorrow? I thought Lindberg said I wouldn't be ready for a couple months?" she continued, her hands beginning to shake. She expected to be out of here long before they tried to send her on any "jobs". She couldn't stand the thought of being involved in any sort of killing, even if the target was an evil bastard who deserved it.

Jackson sighed at the question. "Because Warner decided to take his little European vacation earlier than expected," he said irritably. "Our Scottish office has been prepping for his arrival in November to ensure a quick and clean job. We just received word that he moved up his vacation. Apparently the human trafficking business is pretty taxing," he added sarcastically.

"But why do you have to handle it? Can't someone else go?" she persisted.

"Because this is _my_ job, Lisa," he snapped at her. "I'd put a month's worth of prep work into this before you showed up, and if I don't finish this out I'm out $25,000." She looked back at the papers, her heart sinking.

"I can't believe this…," she said softly.

"Well get used to it," he said. "Remember our deal? Two weeks, Leese. I never said there wouldn't be any travel involved. And I have to take you with me because you're my responsibility." She looked at him grimly.

"Will I have to do anything?" Perhaps she would just go along, but could stay in the hotel or something while Jackson worked.

"Yes," he answered, smiling. "How is your Scottish accent?" Her eyes widened.

"I don't have one," she said quickly. He laughed softly at the fear in her eyes.

"Don't worry…you can be my _American_ wife," he chuckled, grabbing the papers from her and rising from the bed. Lisa blinked. His _wife_? "We'll go over more tomorrow night on the plane. And tomorrow morning will be a crash course in shooting a gun and self-defense. I can't have you completely helpless." He pulled their plane tickets out of the stack of papers and set the rest on the dresser. "Ahhh…British Airways, first class seats. I told you you'd enjoy the perks," he added, setting the tickets down as well and heading back toward the bed. Lisa once again pushed herself to the opposite side, trying to put space between them. She didn't want to let him touch her because part of her knew she'd be too weak to resist him. Everything else aside, he was still incredibly sexy to her right now.

Jackson blinked at her obvious need to put space between them and slid back under the covers. Obviously, the mood had changed from a few minutes ago. Even if they hadn't been interrupted, he wouldn't have gone through with it. He gazed at her for a second before reaching over to run his fingers through her silky locks. What had stopped him a few minutes ago? She stiffened at his touch but didn't move away from him. She felt herself flush when he continued to look at her, then she lay still when she felt him move away from her to switch off the light.

"Goodnight, Leese," he said quietly, turning his back to her. After a few minutes, she fell into a fitful sleep.

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"Your turn," Jackson said as he handed her the semi-automatic pistol after firing a few shots of his own.

"I thought you said you were a lousy shot," she said, staring at the near-perfect bulls eye he'd shot at the human-shaped target. He looked at her, slightly comical-looking in his safety glasses.

"I said I was a lousy shot, not a terrible one. Everyone here needs to know how to handle a gun. Now quit stalling." She looked down at the gun in her hand, feeling its weight, and felt her stomach drop.

"I thought I wasn't training for violent work," she persisted, wanting to drop the gun and bolt. Jackson rolled his eyes.

"You still need to learn to defend yourself, Lisa. Most jobs you won't need a gun, but some you will. You need to learn how to do this. Shoot the damn gun." She scowled at him and raised the pistol to the target, feeling like her legs were going to give out beneath her. "Remember," he said quickly. "Breathe, relax, aim, squeeze."

"I _know_," she snapped, irritated at his badgering. She paused for what seemed like a lifetime; so long in fact that Jackson didn't think she was actually going to shoot. Finally a shot rang out. Lisa yelped at the kick back and Jackson chuckled at her. She surveyed the damage and was surprised that she'd actually hit the paper, although she didn't actually hit anywhere near the target.

"Good. Try it again," Jackson commanded. They spent the next hour taking turns with the gun, Jackson offering praise and advice between shots. He hadn't mentioned their little interlude from last night, and Lisa didn't mind that at all. She preferred they didn't discuss it. It made it easier to pretend like it didn't happen.

She surprised herself by somewhat enjoying shooting the gun; he was actually a decent teacher. But after missing the target for the umpteenth time she gave him a perplexed look.

"I'm not getting any better at this," she said glumly. Even though she never wanted to shoot anyone, knowing how to fire a gun properly was a good skill to have, and she wanted to learn it.

"You'll get better," he said matter-of-factly as he took the gun from her. "Right now I'm only worried about you at least knowing how to handle a gun before we leave tonight. I doubt you'll need it, but we need to be prepared." He removed his goggles and signaled her to do the same. "Okay…let's go."

She followed him out the door, part of her disappointed to leave the shooting range.

"What's next?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Self-defense training," he answered.

After a brief walk across the building, they entered the exercise facility, and then crossed into a large studio-type room. Mirrors lined the walls and large blue mats covered the hardwood floor. Lisa noticed a small locker room connected to the room.

"Go change," Jackson commanded, grabbing a duffle bag that had been resting against the wall. "There should be a gym bag in there with clothes for you." She glanced at him then headed for the door. The locker room was small and smelled very clean, which struck her as odd. Locker rooms never smelled clean. Ten gray lockers lined the far wall, a bench on the opposite side. At the end of the room was a small bathroom with two stalls and two showers. Scanning the room, she saw a small black duffel resting under the bench.

Opening it she pulled out black yoga pants, a sports bra, and a form-fitting long-sleeved red t-shirt. She changed quickly, then noticed a hair-fastener in the bottom of the bag as well. These people never forgot a thing. She pulled her hair up into a high ponytail then headed back toward the studio.

She stopped in the doorway when she realized Jackson had decided to change right there in the middle of the room. His back was to her. He'd already changed into the pants, but just as she approached the door he was pulling his shirt up over his head. Lisa paused and couldn't help but admire the contoured muscles of his back. His skin was tanned and smooth although she noticed a few imperfections lining his torso. She offhandedly wondered if any of them were from the bullet wounds her and her dad had inflicted. Entranced by the sight of him, she then noticed him watching her in the mirror. He caught her gaze and winked at her.

She felt color fill her cheeks and turned away, angry at herself for letting him affect her. Jackson smiled to himself. Part of him wanted to stay shirtless just to exasperate her, but he mercifully pulled a black shirt over his head.

He turned to face her.

"Ready to beat me up?" he asked, a slight smirk on his lips. Lisa eyed him suspiciously, then carefully approached. Was he being playful? He adjusted his position as she moved around him, ready for her to pounce. Lisa readied herself, envisioning her next move in her mind. She wasn't completely helpless. She'd kicked his ass at her dad's house, right?

"You have no idea," she said, suddenly going at him. Her intention was to fake a punch then kick him in the shin when he was distracted with blocking her hand. But as soon as she neared him, he easily grabbed her and threw her down on the mat before she had a chance to hit him. Slamming on the ground knocked the wind out of her, and he leaned over her and smiled as she gasped for air.

"Not so tough without your hockey stick and high heels, are you?" he jeered. She gave him a small smile, then suddenly swiped her long fingernails across his foot, scratching marks into it.

"Hey!" he yelled, stepping back quickly and examining the offended foot. A few drops of blood appeared. She rose and gave him an amused look.

"Aww…did that hurt?" she cooed. He glared at her.

"No, but this will," he growled, going to her swiftly. She tried to move away from him but he grabbed her and twisted her arm just hard enough to bring her to her knees. She yelped and sank to the floor. Once she was weakened, he quickly pushed her on her back, straddled her waist, and held her wrists on either side of her head.

"Get off me!" she shouted, squirming beneath him, angry that he'd overpowered her again. He brought his face down to meet hers.

"Rule number one, Lisa. Don't be so damned sure of yourself," he said firmly. Her eyes flashed at him.

"Rule number two, _Jackson_," she spat back. "Don't underestimate me just because I'm a woman!" With that she abruptly head-butted him. His head flew back as his grip on her loosened, and she squirmed out of his grasp and moved away from him. She scrambled to her feet and readied herself for another attack, but Jackson remained on the floor, holding his head, watching her. Watching him made her realize she felt a bit woozy too, and she sank to the floor.

"Dammit, Lisa…" he muttered, wiping a drop of blood from his forehead. "Now we both have headaches." She expected him to be angry with her, but she was surprised to see amusement and even a bit of admiration in his eyes. He rose slowly and approached her again, offering his hand. She eyed him, then took his hand and let him help her up. "Okay, I won't underestimate you," he conceded. "Now stop being a pain in the ass so I can teach you something." He led her over to the middle of the mat, then turned her around and pressed himself to her back.

"Okay," he started, wrapping his arm gently across her neck. "We'll keep this simple. I have you like this. What do you do?" She paused for a minute, put off by his nearness, as she tried to formulate an action. When she didn't move he tightened his hold around her neck to provoke a reaction from her. She choked and desperately tried to pry his arm away with her hands.

"No," he said firmly, lightening his hold. "When someone has you from behind, you stomp on their foot with your heel as hard as you can." She attempted to do so, but her heel stomped the mat since he'd moved his foot out of the way. "Good, like that. Also you can bang the back of your head into their face. Lean your head forward as you stomp and then with as much speed as possible smack their face with the back of your head." He quickly brought his free hand up to keep the back of her head from crashing into his nose. "But let's not try that one," he said with a chuckle. "That should disorient an attacker enough for you to get away." He released her and turned her back around to face him. "Got it?" he asked. She nodded, then approached him carefully with a glint of arousal in her eyes. He froze when she brought her arms up around his neck.

"Jackson…" she whispered seductively, her green eyes shining. Suspicious but intrigued, he leaned in to kiss her. Then he felt her knee hit him firmly in the groin. Groaning in pain, he fell to the floor. She leaned over him and smiled at what she'd done.

"Stop choking me, Jackson. I have enough bruises," she said emphatically. Angry and in pain, he growled and reached out for her ankle, yanking her feet out from under her. She cried out as she flew to the floor, the mat knocking the wind out of her again. They both lay beside each other for several seconds, aching and gasping for breath. Finally, Jackson turned toward her.

"Okay, we're done here. I think you'll be fine for now," he whispered irritably, pushing himself up. He took her hand, yanked her to her feet, and steadied her. "Grab your clothes. We need to go pack."

-

-

-

"How many days should I pack for?" Lisa said, eyeing the colorful stacks of folded clothes in the dresser. Jackson looked up from his suitcase.

"Maybe four or five. This shouldn't take very long. Do you have any formal dresses?" he asked. She turned from the dresser and gave him a perplexed look. He explained. "Warner is a big fan of the finer side of life. He frequents fancy restaurants and parties, and if we're going to get the closer look that we need, we'll need to blend in. So no formals?" She shook her head. "Okay. We'll pick some up when we get there," he stated, not concerned. "But bring some professional dress as well." She nodded and began to fill her suitcase. Jackson was wearing his dark jeans and a blue t-shirt, having instructed casual wear for the plane trip. She stayed in her comfy black yoga pants and selected a green zip-up hooded sweatshirt and running shoes. Looking over at him, she found herself admiring the way he looked. She still wasn't used to seeing him in casual clothes.

After a few minutes he glanced over at her, his brow furrowed. She quickly moved her focus back to her suitcase.

"Lisa…" he said softly.

"Yeah?" she answered, not turning from her work. When he didn't immediately reply she turned toward him. She realized his look was strained; something was on his mind. Suddenly her stomach lurched as she considered that he was thinking about what had happened between them last night. _Oh shit….please don't bring that up... _

"What happened last night was…" he started.

"…a mistake," she said dismissively, turning back to her suitcase and stuffing it with renewed vigor. He paused and regarded her, then approached and took her by the arms to make her face him. She worked to keep her expression blank, but her heart clenched at the look in his eyes.

"Right," he said firmly. "Technically we're coworkers and anything personal between us would be unprofessional. I apologize…it was my fault." She averted her eyes, embarrassed at his words. He was apologizing to her? Of course he was worried about being professional. Why couldn't he just leave it alone? She tried to push away from him. "What's wrong with you?" he almost shouted, catching her wrists and pulling her back to face him. "Can't we be adults about this?" She scowled at him, his touch suddenly making her skin crawl.

"Sure, Jackson, let's be adults about this and leave it alone!" she angrily pushed away from him again. Jackson released her, stunned at her reaction. Lisa went back to her suitcase, trying desperately to hold back tears. What did she care if he called what happened between them a mistake? Of _course_ it was. It was wrong on so many levels. So why did it piss her off so much to hear him say it? She brought a hand up to cradle her forehead that had suddenly starting pounding again.

Jackson eyed her curiously, wondering why what he'd said had upset her so much. He'd apologized, hadn't he? Shouldn't that make her happy? Shaking his head, he dismissed it as PMS and went back to his own packing. They spent the next several minutes in silence.

Finally he zipped his suitcase shut and pulled it off the bed. He glanced at his Rolex.

"We should leave soon. About ready?"

She didn't answer but zipped up her suitcase as well, pulling it to her side.

"Ready," she said, her face free of emotion again. He reached over and grabbed it from her, then gestured for her to open the door.

"Well, me lass…shall we be off?" he said in a near perfect Scottish accent. She stared at him and realized he was trying to make her laugh. He was usually so serious, and seeing him being a dork felt completely unnatural. This was a new side of him. She worked to keep the corners of her mouth down but couldn't help the small grin that overtook her lips.

"Nice," she said, grabbing her suitcase back from him and opening the door. They headed down the hallway in silence.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N Hello, my wonderful and faithful readers! Just as a side-note, I wanted to say that Red Eye fans are the greatest. The other day I was reading fan fiction in another forum, and some of their reviewers were outright ridiculous and pointlessly mean. I appreciate those of you that take the time to review, particularly the ones that leave helpful critiques! It's all good. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Let me know how you feel about where the story is going! **

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, and Lisa basked in its glow during the walk out to the car. She'd been cooped up in the nearly windowless building for days, and it felt good to get some fresh air. It gave a mocking sense of freedom, as she was still very much a prisoner. She glanced at Jackson and wondered if he was enjoying the weather as much as she was. He didn't seem to notice.

Pressing the button on his key to unlock the BMW, he smoothly slid into the leather seat. Lisa followed suit.

"We need to start going over our identities and backgrounds so we have our story straight when we get there," he said, handing her another manila envelope. He started the car and pulled out of the gate. She opened the envelope and pulled out two new driver's licenses, passports, and social security cards.

"Tessa Walker…" she tested the name out on her tongue as she stared at her new passport. She could see herself as a Tessa. Suddenly she jumped when she recognized the picture of herself. "Where did you get my driver's license picture?" she demanded. He smiled and glanced at the passing landscape.

"Eventually I'm going to have to show you our intelligence center. When you're ready," he added. She cocked her head at him then continued to peruse the perfectly convincing fake identification.

"Colin?" she said, turning to him. He glanced at her and realized she found the name amusing.

"I don't pick the names, Lisa."

"But seriously? I don't see you as a Colin…"

"Just drop it," he said irritably. It was quiet for a moment, until she noticed his passport picture. Suddenly a loud giggle busted from her lips. He shot a look at her, wide-eyed.

"What?" he asked. She looked at him then back to the picture, unable to stop laughing.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jackson demanded, incredulous but not angry. Her laughter was rather adorable.

"Jackson…" she started, trying to quiet herself. "Look at this picture." She handed him the passport. He glared at her and grabbed it, taking his eyes off the road momentarily. It was a picture of him taken about four years ago. His hair was short and a little spiky, and his face was solemn. It didn't look funny to him.

"What's so amusing about that?" he said, tossing it back in her lap.

"Are you serious? You look so young with your hair that short. Like…twenty years old," she continued, looking at the picture again with a smile on her face. "And you look so…serious. You look like an angry kid," she added, knowing she should probably drop it. She realized she didn't care if she was making him angry.

He glared at the road then reached over to grab the passport from her again. He stared at it for a second, then threw it over his shoulder into the back seat.

"Maybe…" he mumbled, turning onto a gravel road. "We may have to take a new picture." She became quiet as she scanned their driver's licenses.

"We're from Chicago," she said simply.

"Both born and raised there," he started. "I'm an executive at Boeing, and you're a manager at the Four Seasons Chicago." She looked at him. "I figured it'd be easier to play a role that you already know so well," he added. "We met through mutual friends four years ago, and we've been married for one. We're on this trip to Scotland for our anniversary." She listened intently then began to rifle through the other manila envelope containing the papers they'd been given last night.

"I don't remember seeing that stuff on the assignment details…" she said softly.

"Of course not. Because I'm making this up as I go along," he said, his full lips in a smirk. "You have to learn to improvise, Leese. It's an essential part of what we do." She blinked at him and looked out the window. "Now what's your maiden name?" She looked back at him and realized he was testing her.

"Anderson," she said quickly.

"How many kids do we have?" he continued. Her eyes grew wide, disturbed at the thought. Kids with _Jackson_? God forbid. "Faster, Leese," he said, growing impatient.

"We don't have any kids. We're both too involved in our careers to make time for that right now," she said. Her heart sank a little at her words, remembering herself saying something similar to her mother several times over the past few years. Her mom could be so prying sometimes.

"Good. Do we ever plan on having kids?" he continued.

"Why would anyone we meet be that nosy?" she argued. He cocked his head, flicking on the turn signal to merge into highway traffic.

"You have a point," he conceded. "I just want to get you used to thinking quickly. We're probably going to be attending at least one social event, and we need to be a convincing couple for this to work. That means you can't shudder when I try to hold your hand," he said with a smile. She bit her lip and stared out the window.

-

-

-

Getting through security was surprisingly easy. The tickets and false identification went through without a hitch, and Jackson had turned on his "charming" demeanor, and no red-blooded female attendant would question those baby blues. Lisa smiled and nodded when necessary with the employees, although inwardly choking whenever she had to refer to herself as "Tessa".

"Ahh…memories," Jackson mused as they walked down the concourse, pulling his black rolling carry-on bag behind him. He was in surprisingly good spirits.

"Memories?" she asked, a line forming between her brows. Then it hit her. "Oh," she said softly. "_Those_ memories." She pictured herself running frantically through the concourse, glancing back to see if the angry madman had caught up with her yet. Four months seemed like a lifetime ago.

Jackson winked at her and kept walking, giving Lisa a small tickle in her stomach. When did he start this winking thing?

-

-

-

Their accommodations on the flight were incredible. The plane was a spacious Boeing 747-400, and the first class demi-cabins were private and comfortable. Lisa closed her eyes and reclined back in the large chair, trying to let the comfort wash away the thoughts about where this plane was taking her and what she'd have to do when she got there. When she opened them again she realized Jackson had been watching her. He quickly averted his gaze.

"Not bad, eh?" he said reclining his seat as well. The sun shining in from the small window caught the blue of his eyes, making them radiant. She gave a slightly strained smile then looked away, her brow furrowed again. Why did she ache for him so much? She shook her head, scolding herself. Jackson watched the little displays of emotions with curiosity.

"Don't worry, Lisa…I'll talk you through take-off again," he said, a little sarcastically. She blinked at him and then remembered she used to have a fear of flying. Wow, she'd gotten over that a long time ago. That was the least of her worries right now.

"No, I'm fine," she said quickly, attempting to distract herself by exploring the little bag of amenities provided by the airline. Wow…slippers, an eye mask, tooth brush…

Suddenly a flight attendant appeared next to Jackson near their little doorway, her pretty face lit with a smile.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Walker," she said in a smooth British accent. Her golden hair was wrapped in a tight bun, her browns eyes large and almond-shaped. Her navy blue sweater accented her generous curves. "I'm going to have to ask you to put your chairs in an upright position and fasten your safety belts. We'll be taking off shortly," she said.

"Of course," Jackson said softly, giving her a charming smile. Lisa watched slight color blush the young woman's cheek at the sight of his smile. The attendant then glanced at her, apparently needing a reminder that he was married. She nodded quickly and left.

Lisa pulled the latch to lift her seat as Jackson did the same, both buckling their seat belts. Jackson began rummaging through his carry-on bag.

"You really should stop doing that," Lisa said. He glanced at her.

"Doing what?" he said, pulling out the assignment details again.

"Making every woman swoon that you come in contact with," she said, forcing a smile to her lips. "You're being quite a flirt for a married man." His eyes flashed with irritation.

"I'm not flirting, Lisa. I'm just being polite," he reasoned. "Women swoon too easily. Just because a man is civil to her doesn't mean he's flirting." Lisa listened, her mind suddenly flashing back to their little interlude back at the airport bar before the red eye flight. She replayed the conversation in her head. No, he definitely had been flirting with her then. She turned her head away from him and dismissed it.

"Do I make _you_ swoon?" he suddenly asked with a mischievous grin. She turned to him, mouth agape, almost too flabbergasted to speak.

"Of _course_ not," she spat, suddenly defensive. She wanted to give him the millions of reasons why he didn't affect her, but she figured she'd just come across as a rambling idiot. She instead gave her most indignant face possible and turned back to the window. She inwardly growled when she heard him chuckle. Slapping him was not far from her mind.

"C'mon, Leese…I know I charmed the pants off of you at the airport those few months ago. You were putty in my hands," he laughed. She turned to him quickly, her eyes aflame.

"Oh yeah? You have room to talk. I've gotten the upper hand on you _twice_ because I made _you_ swoon," she returned, knowing that she'd probably piss him off by saying it. She saw the humor fall from his eyes and his lips press together.

"Touché," he said dismissively, turning his head to signify the conversation was over. She basked in her small victory, then realized they'd both sort of admitted being attracted to each other. That was almost obvious at this point, given what had taken place between them, but it felt odd to have it out in the open. She glanced at him and wondered what he was thinking.

They felt the plane begin to move towards the runway. A male British voice came over the intercom to inform the passengers about weather, flight time, etc. Lisa tuned it out, her brain dwelling on what awaited her across the pond.

"You might want to try to get some sleep once we're in the air," Jackson said, the irritation having left his face. "We've got an eight hour flight to London to catch a connecting flight to Edinburgh. When we get there, it'll be 9am their time. We're meeting the Scottish office's representative at that time."

"I know," she said softly. "I read the assignment too." He blinked at her.

"Right," he said.

"But it didn't say what exactly we'll be doing, other than just managing Warner's assassination. How will we know what we're supposed to do?"

"The Scottish office has been keeping tabs on him since he arrived yesterday, and they'll inform us of what the plan is when we get there. Like I said, improvisation is key. Sometimes the plan changes at the last minute, and you need to be able to adapt," he paused and let the words sink in. Lisa stared at her lap for a minute, then connected eyes with him again.

"Does he deserve to die?" she asked softly. Jackson expressed feigned confusion.

"Who…Warner?" he clarified.

"Yes, Warner," she answered like it was obvious.

"It doesn't matter, Lisa. Amnesty International coughed up the cash, so he's the target. It's just the way it is," he said matter-of-factly. Lisa looked at him thoughtfully, her eyes heavy. She wondered what had desensitized him so much.

"Tell me more about him," she said firmly. Jackson studied her, then realized she was searching for a way to justify this. If she could recognize Warner as the bastard he was, it might make her feel better about having to be involved in his assassination. Jackson smiled. Whatever would make her more cooperative was fine with him.

"Warner lives in Houston with his lovely wife Irene. Technically they both run a sort of 'half-way' house for immigrants and foreigners that are looking to get acclimated to the States. They advertise themselves as a type of not-for-profit school that teaches English and career skills and helps their 'students' find jobs. In actuality, it's a human trafficking ring that sells the unsuspecting incoming foreigners as sex slaves and prostitutes," he explained, even looking a little disgusted himself. Anybody that used sex in a violent or forced way sickened him. He usually didn't connect emotion with any of his jobs, but he would enjoy taking this guy out.

Jackson could see his words were affecting Lisa, so he continued.

"Once they've lured these women into the country, they use physical abuse, deception, bondage, and intimidation to keep them in line. Escape is usually dangerous, and most of them don't speak English, so they're afraid to attempt it anyway." Lisa could tell he was egging her on, but his words still hit home.

"How do you know all this?" she asked.

"I told you, Lisa – I did a month's work of prep on this. I know this man and his business inside and out," he answered. Lisa gripped the arms of her chair and stared out the window as the plane began to take off.

"Why would _anyone_ do something like that?" she said softly, mostly to herself. She found herself thinking back to what had happened to her in that parking lot over two years ago. Warner ran an organization that forced women to have sex. How was he any better than the man that had raped her?

"There's a lot of money in it," Jackson said simply. "Sex is one of the most lucrative businesses in the world." Lisa closed her eyes, disgusted anew by Thomas Warner and his wife.

"I can see why Amnesty International wanted him taken out," she said. Jackson nodded but his eyes grew thoughtful.

"Everyone has their own reasons for wanting somebody dead, Lisa. What seems right to one person might not seem right to another. Everyone thinks their worldview is the correct one. Regardless, you need to realize that in our business, it doesn't matter. We are professionals. We do our job anyway."

Lisa listened to him speak but knew that no matter how much he preached his views on relativity and ethics to her, she would never agree with him. The only reason she was even on this plane semi-willingly was because Jackson had promised reward if she cooperated, practically an invitation to escape. Still, she found herself beginning to relish the thought of Thomas Warner being removed from the face of the planet. She felt guilty, but picturing what Jackson would do to somebody like him almost made her smile. The thought that Warner could go free after what he'd done wasn't right. He needed to be stopped, one way or another.

Suddenly Jackson reached over and touched her cheek in an uncharacteristic act of tenderness. He turned her head to face him and his eyes lit with gentle humor, apparently reading her thoughts.

"Why, Lisa Reisart…" he almost whispered. "Is Little Miss Righteous about ready to join the dark side?" She looked away and moved from his hand, her skin tingling where he had touched her.

"No," she said simply, not wanting to give him the pleasure of admitting anything she was thinking. He continued to watch her, a smile in his eyes.

He was getting to her.

_

_

_

Lisa slept erratically in spite of the comfortable reclined chair. She awoke with a start, the vague memory of some unpleasant dream in her mind. Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair and glanced over at Jackson. He was out cold.

She took the opportunity to let her eyes run appreciatively over his features. In spite of what he was, he still affected her as a woman. His body was turned a bit towards her, one hand resting on his abdomen and the other behind his head beneath his pillow. His bangs had fallen into his eyes again and his breath came evenly through his slightly parted lips. Without his menacing looks and snide remarks, he seemed oddly inviting. Lisa found herself wondering what it would be like to lay her head on his chest. Feel his warmth and hear his heartbeat.

She sighed again and fought the urge to touch him. For some reason her hand ached to brush his bangs out of his eyes. She hesitated.

"Jackson?" she whispered. No response. She bit her lip and carefully brought a shaking hand up to his face. Her graceful fingers brushed his hair from his brow, revealing more of his face to her. She was encouraged by the fact that he didn't stir, and she let her fingers linger, sliding lightly down his stubbled cheek.

Suddenly his eyes shot open and his free hand grabbed her wrist. Lisa gasped and tried to pull her hand away, but he held tight. Jackson blinked at her, half-awake and confused.

"What are you doing?" he asked, genuinely curiously. Lisa felt herself blush as she finally yanked her wrist from his hand.

"Nothing," she said quickly, avoiding his gaze. "Sorry."

Jackson stared at her but didn't press it. Lisa looked out the window, praying that he would go back to sleep and forget it. After a few minutes she glanced back over at him. He was wide awake and watching her steadily.

Wishing for the uncomfortable moment to pass, she decided to speak. She said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Ever been to Scotland before?" she said quickly, realizing how self-conscious she probably sounded. Jackson smiled but didn't answer at first.

"Yes, a few times," he finally answered sleepily, his voice lower than normal. "I'm in the UK at least once a year for work."

She nodded.

"Have you?" he asked. Lisa looked at him, slightly surprised at him showing interest in her personally. He usually pretended to know everything about her.

"No," she said. "My family always took camping trips when I was growing up. We never had money for big vacations like that." She paused and thought about her next question. "Do you have a family?" He chuckled at her.

"Of course I do, Lisa. I didn't hatch from an egg," he said.

"Do you ever see them?"

"No," he said simply, seemingly unwilling to elaborate. He turned over to face her completely and propped his head up on his elbow.

"Trying to get inside my head? Find out what turned me into what I am?" he said with an amused glint in his eyes.

"No…" she said quickly. "You know everything about me, Jackson, and I barely know anything about you. It's only fair." She used logic to persuade him. She knew he'd respond to that. He regarded her for a moment, the nodded.

"That's fair…" he began. "Okay, Leese. What do you want to know?"

"Where did you grow up?"

"Michigan," he answered.

"Okay…where are your parents?"

"Dead," he said without emotion. "They both died in a car accident when I was fifteen." She digested this for a moment.

"Any brothers or sisters?"

"No…only child."

"Okay…" she said, pausing to think again. "Lindberg said he found you when you were eighteen. What happened between fifteen and eighteen?" Jackson sighed and laid back in his chair, his eyes thoughtful as memories came to him.

"I left after my parents died. I was an angry kid. Didn't feel like putting up with people's pity anymore, and didn't want to be put in a foster home or move in with family. My extended family was full of assholes."

Lisa listened intently, her eyes wide, almost in shock at receiving personal information about him. He stared at the ceiling while he spoke.

"I lived on the street for a while, then decided I'd rather live on the street where it was warmer, so I headed south. Learned how to fight, steal, and handle myself well. By the time Lindberg found me I was basically a career criminal." He paused and glanced at Lisa, appearing to remember who he was talking to. He hesitated.

"Why did you go with him?" Lisa pursued, fully intrigued by his story and wanting him to continue.

"First off it was because he offered me work. He said I could put my particular skills to good use and never have to worry about money again. I didn't fully realize what exactly his business did until he sent me on my first job. After it was over, he paid me $10,000. I've been working for him since."

"Why did you stay with the company even after you understood what it was about?" she asked, not realizing she was beginning to lean toward him as she listened. He looked at her, his blue eyes cool.

"Because I had seen the worthless side of humanity after my parents died. Most people are shit, Leese. Selfish…shallow…petty. And I realized I didn't care if a few of them were removed from the face of the earth. What difference did it make? The world was probably better for it." He spat his last few words out bitterly.

Lisa stared at her lap for a few minutes, digesting this new facet of Jackson. She decided to alter her line of questioning.

"Have you ever been married?" she asked. He laughed so loudly it startled her.

"No, Lisa…" he turned to her and smiled. "I've never been married."

"Have you ever been in love?" she continued, her voice having gone soft. His smile dropped a bit, some of the humor leaving his eyes. But he quickly recovered.

"I think you've learned enough about me tonight," he said, dismissing her. He glanced at his watch. "We'll be landing in a couple hours. We should probably try to get some more sleep." He reached under his chair and pulled out a fleece blanket, draping it over himself.

"You don't seem like the type to shy away from any question," she said impatiently.

Jackson glanced at her and winked, causing the familiar tickle to return to her stomach. He then turned his back to her to go back to sleep.

Lisa sighed and returned her attention to the window. She watched the stars twinkle in the clear black sky, and wondered how she was going to get through the next few days.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N I KNOW I just updated a few days ago, but I'm all into my story now and I felt like I would burst if I didn't keep writing. I have links to the pictures that inspired Jackson and Lisa's outfits for the fundraiser in my profile if anyone is interested. Happy reading!**

"What a beautiful city," Lisa said softly to herself as she gazed out the window of the silver Porsche Boxster Jackson had rented for them. She observed the exquisite old-style architecture and undulating cobblestone streets. It was positively charming.

"Yeah, this is called Old Town. The other part of the city is more modern," Jackson commented. He drove expertly through the streets, seemingly having no trouble with driving on the opposite side of the rode. Like he'd said, he'd been here several times before.

Lisa shifted in her seat and longed for a hot bath. After spending all night on the plane in her yoga pants and sweatshirt, it was time to freshen up. She pulled down the mirror in her sun visor and wiped mascara from beneath her eyes.

"When are we checking into the hotel?" she asked.

"First we have breakfast and meet with the Scottish office. Then we'll be able to plan out the rest of our day," he answered.

She nodded and continued to observe the passing streets, struck by how familiar, yet also unfamiliar everything seemed. It felt like the States, but with a certain old-world charm ingrained in it. More culture and personality than most American cities.

Jackson finally pulled the car up to the curb of an opulent hotel with a stunning clock tower accenting its decor.

"The Balmoral," Lisa read aloud from the sign, stunned at its beauty.

"Best hotel in the city," Jackson remarked. "Warner is actually probably staying here. I'm guessing that's why the Scottish office asked to meet us here for breakfast."

Lisa felt her mouth go dry. This was really happening. She reached for door handle but Jackson quickly stopped her.

"Wait, Lisa. Remember – with the exception of the Scottish reps, from now on we're Colin and Tessa Walker from Chicago. Anywhere we go, anyone we meet, that's who we are," he said firmly. She nodded and then smirked faintly.

"Got it," she said. "But I'd like to see how long you can go without calling me 'Leese'." He blinked at her as she smiled and reached for her door handle again. They both exited the vehicle and Lisa followed him into the door.

Lisa had to stifle a gasp at the beauty and lavishness of the lobby. It had very chic and modern design with high ceilings and expensive accents. She instantly felt self-conscious at her casual attire and unkempt appearance.

Jackson seemed casual and confident as usual as he led them to a small dining area right off the lobby. They were instantly approached by an employee dressed in a fine black vest and collared white shirt.

"Good morning and welcome," the red-haired young man said graciously in a charming Scottish accent, apparently unfazed by their untidy facade. "My name is Gordon. Will you be having breakfast?"

"Yes," Jackson answered quickly. "We're actually meeting someone here."

"Ahh yes," Gordon said with a smile. "Ms. Lennox said she was expecting a young couple. Let me show you to her table." He led them to the back of the small restaurant to a private corner booth with high-back seating.

Seated there was a dark haired woman, probably in her 40's, Lisa guessed. Her hair was swept back in a graceful up-do, and she wore a pair of regal dark-rimmed glasses. Her skin was fair but lined, and she wore a blue suit jacket and skirt. Lisa's first impression was that she looked like a hard woman, almost like an 1800's schoolmarm. The woman looked up from a binder as they approached.

"Ms. Lennox, your guests have arrived," Gordon said, gesturing gracefully to Lisa and Jackson.

"Good, thank you," she said, her accented voice deep and authoritative. She closed the binder and put it aside.

"I'll be back shortly for your orders," Gordon said, bowing slightly before walking back toward the front of the restaurant. After he was out of sight, Jackson reached out to take the woman's hand.

"It's good to see you again, Mr. Rippner," she said with a smile, a twinkle in her brown eyes. Lisa realized she was pretty when she smiled. "And you must be Miss Reisart," she added, releasing Jackson's hand to take Lisa's.

"Yes, ma'am," Lisa said softly, working to maintain eye contact. The woman intimidated her.

"I'm Stacia Lennox, operations manager of the office here in Edinburgh. Please, have a seat," she said, gesturing toward the other bench.

"Thank you," Lisa said as they were seated. She felt Jackson run a few fingers over her knee under the table in what seemed like a gesture of reassurance. She glanced at him, but his focus remained on Stacia.

"How has business been lately?" Jackson asked politely, leaning back in a relaxed posture.

"As good as can be expected," she answered quickly with a wave of her hand. "I recently had to hire a new manager and he's taking a while to be productive. How is your new hire doing?" she asked, glancing at Lisa. Lisa stiffened. She didn't like being talked about like she wasn't here.

"She's coming along fine," Jackson said with a slight smirk, and eyes that expressed that there was much more to the story. "We're looking to execute a successful job this week," he added.

"Of course," Stacia said with a smile. "You shouldn't have too much trouble. I think the plan we've put together is pretty foolproof."

"Excellent," Jackson said. "Shall we go over it then?"

"Ahh, Mr. Rippner…right down to business as usual," she said, her smile faltering a bit. She re-opened the binder that had been resting on the table in front of her.

"Now Warner and his wife are staying in this very hotel and are booked for the next two nights, so we don't have much time to get this done. They are staying in suite 4506. Your suite will be just down the hall from them in 4526," she explained, scribbling notes on the pages as she read. "Now the end goal here is to lure them into your room. It's a perfect location due to it being at the end of the hall and near the fire escape," she said as she showed them the binder and pointed out a map of the layout of the building.

Lisa listened in fascination as the woman spoke, feeling unsure at being privy to such a conversation. She was listening to them plan a man's murder.

_A man that deserves to die_, she thought bitterly, surprising herself at the internal confession. She shook her head slightly. _No…I can't think that way._

"Once they are in your room you will signal our associate with this," she continued, handing Jackson a small mobile phone. "The number is already programmed in. He'll be waiting in the alley for you. Once the signal is given, he will enter through the fire escape and take out Warner and his wife. He's been instructed to also take jewelry and wallets to make it look like a robbery," she added. "Then you and Miss Reisart will escape with him out the fire escape, and we'll have a car waiting for you in the alley to take you back to our headquarters before police arrive."

Jackson took the binder from her to look over the plan himself, holding it for Lisa to see as well.

"Looks pretty solid, Stacia," he said as he turned the pages. "Any thoughts on how we get them into our room willingly?"

She handed him two crème-colored tickets.

"There is a charity fundraiser being held this afternoon in the Sir Walter Scott suite," she answered. "From what we have gathered, Warner and his wife plan to attend. Warner is always networking for new clients for his so-called 'business'. We suggest that you two build rapport with them tonight. They'll easily connect with a well-to-do American couple such as what you will portray. Make him comfortable enough to offer you a chance to buy from him. He'll obviously want to do such a business transaction of out of the public eye, and that would be the perfect time to invite them back to your suite."

"Makes sense," Jackson commented.

"Of course, a lot of this will be up to your discretion. As long as the job gets done. Whatever you have to do to make that happen," she said tightly, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"I understand," he said. "But we'll need a few things. First off, since we're portraying a married couple, we'll need wedding rings." Lisa glanced at him. "Also, we might want some fine jewelry for Miss Reisart to make it more convincing that we're wealthy. And we both need formal clothing."

"Not a problem. The event is black-tie optional by the way," Stacia explained, pulling the binder back from Jackson and opening it to a blank sheet. "I can have the items delivered to your suite in a few hours. I'll need your sizes."

Jackson gave his sizes quickly as Stacia took notes, and to Lisa's exasperation, he rattled off Lisa's sizes as well. Right down to her ring size. She gave him an annoyed look as he spoke, to which he responded with another smirk. He was so damned sure of himself. She looked back at Stacia and realized the woman was watching her with an irritated eye.

"Are you sure she can handle this?" Stacia asked Jackson with a snide tone. "She seems a little wet behind the ears…"

"She'll be fine, Stacia," Jackson said quickly, sounding a bit defensive. "Don't worry about this job. We'll get it handled." Lisa squeezed her hands together under the table, forcing herself to keep her mouth shut. This was not the type of woman to mess with. She felt Jackson's fingers brush her knee again.

"Alright. Give me a few hours and I'll have the items delivered," Stacia said as she ripped out the paper she'd been writing on. She handed Jackson the binder and stood. "My direct number is also programmed into the phone, so you can reach me at any time." With that she nodded to them both. "Good luck."

And she was gone.

_

_

_

After taking their time with breakfast they went out to get their suitcases and check into the hotel. Another black-vested bellhop took their bags and escorted them through the ornately decorated hallways and up the elevator to their room.

"The Royal Suite is our finest," said the young man as he pushed open the door. The suite was spacious and filled with antique and modern furnishings, luxurious fabrics and a large fireplace. A beautiful chandelier hanging above the living area filled the room with soft, pleasant light.

Lisa immediately went to the window and gazed out at the beautiful city, entranced by the sight of a picturesque castle off in the distance on top of a hill.

"That's Edinburgh Castle, ma'am," the bellhop said with smile. "Hopefully you will get a chance to visit during your stay here." Lisa nodded and gave a soft smile, her eyes downcast. She glanced up at Jackson whose expression was unreadable.

"Is the room to your expectations?" the young man asked.

"Yes, thank you," Jackson said, handing him some bills. The bellhop thanked him, wished them a pleasant stay, and left.

Lisa continued to peruse the suite, almost unable to believe they would be staying in such an elegant place. Jackson followed a few steps behind her, observing her reactions with a watchful eye.

She went into the bedroom, which offered a king-sized bed and another fireplace. She gave an inward sigh of relief at the size of the bed. The larger it was, the more space she could put between herself and Jackson at night. She chuckled sarcastically to herself. Usually a young "married" woman would be pleased to be spending a few days with her husband in such a fancy hotel, and all she could think about was putting space between them.

"Like it?" Jackson asked, interrupting her thoughts. She glanced at him. He looked uncomfortable for some reason, a glint of uncertainty in his eyes.

"What's not to like?" she said, attempting to seem like it didn't impress her. She headed back to get her suitcase from the front entrance. Jackson did the same, and soon they were filling the twin oak dressers with their clothing.

"When does the fundraiser start today?" she asked as she closed the top drawer.

"Three," Jackson answered without elaborating.

"What will we do until then?"

"I don't know, Leese. Prep?" he said, irritation in his voice. "Do I have to entertain you twenty four hours a day?" She stopped and looked at him, surprised at his reaction. Seeing her stunned face, he softened a bit and sighed.

"I'm going to go for a walk," he said quickly, zipping up his empty suitcase and dropping it noisily beside the dresser. "I need some time to myself."

She blinked at him.

"I suggest you get some rest and prepare for tonight. I need you to be on top of your game. Go over the plan again. I'll leave the binder." With that he grabbed the room key and stormed out the front door, slamming it behind him.

Lisa was annoyed with herself for feeling hurt, but she felt her stomach clench a little as he left. A few days ago he was angrily throwing her around and choking her. And now her feelings were hurt because he snapped at her? She shook her head and went again to the window.

Her mind went again to the fundraiser, and she realized she had to make a decision. Was she going to help Jackson lure these people to a certain death? They deserved it…Did that make it right? And once again, if she decided not to help him, what would Jackson's retribution be? Would he threaten her or her Dad? He had been somewhat pleasant these last few days, but it was due in large part to the fact that she'd stopped fighting him. If she defied him again, he would more than likely go back to his old ways. Would she risk her or her family's safety to help someone like Warner? Keefe, yes…but Warner?

She groaned and slid both hands into her hair. Feeling its slight greasiness she remembered how badly she needed a bath. She went to the dresser and pulled out some fresh undergarments.

Walking into the spacious bathroom, she appreciatively observed the intricate mosaic floor and marble sink. In the middle was a large freestanding bathtub. Perfect.

A few minutes later she was soaking in sweet-smelling bubbly warmth.

_

_

_

Jackson returned a couple hours later, his hair mussed from the windy day. The fresh air had done him good, and he felt a lot more relaxed now that he had thought through the plan for tonight and gotten some time away from Lisa. She exhausted him for reasons he didn't quite understand.

He wandered through the suite looking for her. Sudden panic gripped him when he couldn't immediately find her. She wouldn't attempt an escape now, would she?

"Lisa?"

No response. Rage filled him until he noticed the bathroom door was closed. He went to it quickly and knocked.

"Lisa?"

"Yeah?"

Relief swept through him at the sound of her sweet voice. He tried the door but she had locked it.

"Did you fall asleep in the tub again?" he asked through the door. There was a long pause.

"No," she said softly. He smiled to himself.

"Don't lie, Leese. I can always tell," he said, relaxing and heading back to the front living area.

Suddenly there was a firm knock at the front door. Jackson approached it carefully and looked through the peephole. He saw their bellhop from earlier, holding several black bags. Stacia had delivered.

"I apologize for disturbing you, Mr. Walker," the bellhop said when Jackson opened the door. "These packages just arrived for you at the front desk. We were asked to deliver them immediately." He handed him the bags and Jackson set them down by the door. He reached into his pocket and produced another large tip. The bellhop's eyes widened slightly as he took it.

"Thank you, sir," the young man muttered as Jackson shut the door in his face. He carried the bags to the bedroom and began to take out the boxes. Then the bathroom door opened.

Lisa emerged in a white fluffy bathrobe, her hair in a towel. She blushed slightly as Jackson looked at her, then realized how silly it was to feel modest around him considering what had already happened. She glanced down at the pile of packages.

"Are those our clothes?" she asked, approaching him.

"Yes, we need to make sure they fit properly," he said, opening one of them. Inside were three red velvet jewelry boxes, two ring-sized, one larger and flat. He clicked open a smaller box. "This one's mine," he said, then opened and shut the other box. "This is yours," he said, handing it to her.

Lisa eyed him then opened it. Her breath immediately left her. Inside was an absolutely gorgeous wedding ring. The flawless round-cut diamond had to be at least two carats, set in a beautiful platinum band. It was simple, but exquisite. Her eyes sparkled as she studied it, almost forgetting what the ring was for. She felt her eyes go moist and she blinked, trying to regain control of her emotions.

Jackson watched her reaction and looked away, not knowing how to respond.

"Just make sure it fits, Leese," he said, slightly uncomfortable. She nodded, coming back to reality a little, and pulled it out of the box to place on her ring finger. It fit perfectly. "Good," he said, scanning the contents of the other boxes. "Now you actually look like a married woman."

He handed her a few of the packages then gathered the rest for himself.

"I'm going to take a shower. Be ready in an hour," he said, heading for the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

Lisa watched the ring sparkle on her finger for a moment more, her heart clenching for reasons she couldn't quite put her finger on. _It's just a prop, Lisa_, she scolded herself. _It doesn't mean anything_.

She opened one of the packages and pulled out a pair of lovely black dress shoes. They were stiletto height, with two thick patent-leather pieces going across the foot, connecting with the heel along the back. Tiny corset stitching graced the outer part of the foot. They were a bit showy and nothing like she'd normally wear, but she liked them nonetheless.

Another package contained a black jersey-knit dress. It was knee-length and strapless with a small train flowing along the back. It gathered at the waist and flared a bit at the knee. She fingered the soft fabric and marveled at its elegant simplicity. Whoever had gone shopping for them had flawless taste.

Going to the vanity, she applied her makeup, lining her eyes with black pencil and applying extra mascara. She smoothed a pink-tinted gloss across her lips. After blow-drying her hair straight, she twisted it into a simple and loose up-do, leaving a few pieces of her bangs gracing her forehead. She regarded herself in the mirror. So far so good.

It was time for the dress. She glanced at the bathroom door and wondered if she had time enough to change before Jackson barged in on her. Hearing nothing, she unfastened the bathrobe and let it fall to her feet.

She slipped the silky fabric over her head and adjusted it, smoothing it down her body. The dress was snug but fit her like a glove. Satisfied, she sat down on the bed and slipped on the heels. They were tight but they would work. She stood carefully on the high heels and went to the full-length mirror in the corner of the room to see the full package. Here she was: Tessa Walker, wife of well-to-do Colin Walker and manager of the Four Seasons Chicago. She hoped she looked the part.

She found herself off-handedly wondering if Jackson would be pleased with her appearance. She rolled her eyes at herself and went back to gather the boxes were now strewn across the bed.

A few minutes later the bathroom door finally opened and Jackson emerged. He didn't immediately look at her, carrying his dirty clothing over to the laundry bag in the corner. Lisa took in the sight of him, instantly struck by his appearance.

He was wearing a dark gray textured sports jacket over a black button-up shirt that perfectly accented his masculine build. His trousers were black and cut flat in the front, straight-cut down the leg. He'd put a bit of mousse in his hair, giving it a chic and slightly wet appearance. He looked amazing.

Lisa felt herself melt a little, the familiar squeeze in her chest. She noticed the platinum wedding band on his finger. At least for tonight, he was hers.

Jackson checked his watch, having still not noticed Lisa standing in the corner of the room.

"It's almost 2:30. Are you about – " Then he saw her, halting mid-sentence. Lisa felt her body begin to tingle as he ran his eyes slowly up and down her, his mouth open slightly. She couldn't interpret the look on his face. Was he pleased? Disappointed? She shifted uncomfortably, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

He slowly walked across the room and approached, then lifted her chin to face him. He smelled warm and masculine, and Lisa weakened at the look on his face. His eyes were soft and sincere. It was as if she'd made him forget to be tough…to be in charge.

"You look…stunning," he said softly, scanning her face with his eyes. Lisa felt color fill her cheeks and she looked away.

"Thank you," she responded, running her eyes over him. "You look nice too," she said quickly, embarrassed that her compliment wasn't as gallant. She connected eyes with him again and saw uncertainty appear in them as he dropped his hand from her face and stepped away. He cleared his throat.

"Did you get a chance to go over the plan again while I was gone?" he asked firmly, back in professional mode. She blinked at his change of mood.

"I know the plan, Jackson," she said.

"Good. I gave it some thought while I was out, and I decided tonight should probably be more about building trust with the Warners. Build rapport – that sort of thing. That way we can invite them over for drinks tomorrow night. It will seem more natural that way, less like we're pressuring them," he reasoned. Lisa nodded.

"Tonight we need to convince them that we're a wealthy couple and eventually that we want to buy from them. They won't pay attention to us otherwise," he added, then looked like he remembered something. "Almost forgot," he muttered, pulling the larger red velvet jewelry box from his pocket. "I accidentally took this into the bathroom with me."

Clicking it open, he revealed a sparkling diamond necklace. He pulled it from the box and let it dangle from his fingers.

"We need you looking well off," he said, going to her. He unfastened the necklace and stepped behind her, draping it in front of her. "Now this is on loan, so don't get too excited."

She felt his fingers jostle against the back of her neck as he fastened it, causing her skin to tingle.

"Perfect," he said softly, adjusting it a little. She felt him pause, then froze when she felt him place his hands lightly on her upper arms. The touch confused her, and she almost questioned him until she felt his breath on the back of her neck.

Chills ran through her when she felt his mouth press to the side of her neck. He pulled her back against him and ran his soft lips down the skin of her neck to her shoulder. Lisa's pulse quickened and she felt herself begin to gasp slightly, overwhelmed at his touch.

Instinctively she pulled away, turning around to face him, uncertainty in her eyes. His face was flushed and his breaths were heavy as he looked at her, trying to get a handle on himself. He let out a sigh and wiped his mouth. This was getting out of hand.

They regarded each other in silence for what seemed like an eternity, then Jackson stepped forward and took her hand, choosing to proceed as if nothing happened.

"Ready, Tessa?" he asked, obviously working to gain control again. Lisa tried to calm her pounding heartbeat and slowly nodded.

He led her through the suite and out the door, locking it behind them.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N Chapter has been tweaked a little since original posting. I added a few of Jackson's thoughts throughout and tweaked the final scene a little. **

Holding her hand securely in his, Jackson led Lisa down the hall toward the fundraiser. They were silent, both focusing on getting into character. As they approached Lisa heard soft piano music playing some beautiful classic piece.

Arriving at the door, Jackson placed their two tickets into the waiting hand of the doorman. A sign near the door explained that the fundraiser was for Greenpeace, an environmental charity.

Entering slowly, they observed their surroundings. The large hall was filled with guests, all dressed to the nines and holding cocktails. The room was abuzz with conversation, and the walls were lined with various works of art. Beautiful paintings and sculptures.

A few of the guests noticed the handsome young couple that had just arrived, and some smiles were shot their way. Lisa unintentionally squeezed Jackson's hand, her mouth going dry. Observing her tense features, he leaned down close to her ear.

"Breathe," he whispered. "Just be yourself, Leese. Charm the pants off of them, and nobody will question you. I'll let you know when I spot Warner."

She made eye contact with him and nodded, and he smiled at her, charmed by the determined look on her face.

"Wait here, Tess," he said, now full voice. "I'll get us some drinks." Her eyes widened a bit as he walked away from her. He couldn't just leave her here alone! He gave her an infuriating wink as he headed for the bar, and Lisa cursed him under her breath.

Letting out a slow breath, she surveyed her surroundings again and figured she'd better mingle or risk looking snobby. She surveyed the lovely artwork and found a large painting that was particularly interesting. Running her eyes over the beautiful array of design and color, she was instantly enchanted. She glanced down and saw a small pedestal with a ledger in front of the painting, and realized this was a silent art auction.

Her eyes widened when she read some of the bids. Fifty thousand dollar for _that_?

"Are you an admirer of Matisse?" a Scottish male voice said.

"Yes," she said with a smile, turning to see a tall blond man standing beside her. He appeared to be in his early 30's, dressed in a tux. "He has such a mastery of color and expression," she explained, knowing full well she'd never heard of Matisse and knew nothing about him. The blond man nodded.

"Yes, he's definitely one of the great modern artists," he said politely. He paused to study the painting further, then glanced again at Lisa.

"Angus," he said, holding out his hand. She hesitated then shook it.

"Tessa," she replied. He nodded, looking back at the painting.

"Are you going to place a bid?"

"Perhaps," she answered quietly. "I'll have to ask my husband." This was the last place she wanted someone hitting on her.

She watched the man's face fall slightly.

"Of course," he said with another smile, raising his cocktail to his lips. "Well, enjoy the auction," he added, walking away to descend upon another pretty woman that was less attached. She let out a small sigh of relief as she saw Jackson returning to her.

"I leave for two minutes and someone tries to steal my wife away," he said with slight amusement, handing her a glass. He made a mental note to strangle that clown if he ever saw him again.

Lisa studied her drink.

"What is this?" she asked. He smirked at her.

"A baybreeze," he answered, sipping his glass of bourbon. Her eyes narrowed.

"Colin, darling…" Lisa said between clenched teeth. "You know I hate these."

He smiled. "You need to branch out, love," he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. Before raising his head completely, he whispered into her ear, "Warner. Over by the bar. Cheap tux."

Lisa instantly scanned the bar area and zeroed in on a balding middle-aged man in an ill-fitted tux. His cummerbund looked like it was about to burst from his body from the weight of his belly. His bowtie was off-center. Unimpressive. He reminded Lisa of a used car salesman. She watched him laugh raucously at some joke the bartender was making as he ordered another drink.

Multiple emotions ran through her at finally laying eyes on the man that Jackson's company was going to assassinate. The man that selfishly caused pain and anguish to countless immigrant women every day. She waited for feelings of regret at being involved in his death, but they wouldn't come.

She bit her lip and looked up at Jackson who had been studying her.

"So you like this painting?" he said in full-voice again, gesturing to the majestic Matisse.

"It's exquisite," she said sincerely, forcing herself to take a sip of the baybreeze. Jackson paused then stepped forward to write on the ledger.

"What are you doing?" she asked, also stepping forward to see what he was writing. "Sixty-five thousand? Are you crazy?"

He glanced at her. She was so adorable when she was flustered.

"We can afford it," he said with a small smile, taking her hand and pulling her along. "Let me know if you see anything else that interests you."

The next hour went smoothly, making small talk with strangers and bidding on artwork. They discussed modern artists and music, and also repeatedly explained their visit to Scotland when people noticed they were American.

Lisa was surprised at how easily her and Jackson functioned as a pair in public. With his near constant displays of affection – kissing her cheek, holding her hand, or keeping an arm possessively around her waist – no one would question them as a legitimate couple. Even though the acts of sentiment were technically acting, she still felt warmth wash through her every time he touched her. He did most of the talking, with her speaking whenever he would prompt her in a conversation. He was positively charming with everyone, and Lisa found herself admiring his control. All else aside, he really was good at his job.

Jackson relished being able to touch Lisa as often as he wanted. Most of his effort went into keeping his hands off of her, and having an excuse to kiss and hold her was a dream. Her skin was soft as silk and she smelled so sweetly. He recognized though that the small touches only stoked the fire within him that raged for her. He needed to focus on the task at hand.

Although taking his time, Jackson kept pulling them steadily in Warner's direction. The man hadn't left the bar since they arrived.

After saying goodbye to a pleasant older couple from Glasgow, Jackson turned to her.

"Should we get another drink, Tess?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yes, I'd like that," Lisa answered, following him toward the bar. Jackson reached his hand behind him as he walked, waiting to take her hand again. Lisa gave it. She felt her stomach heave as they moved toward Warner.

Jackson sat on a bar stool close enough to Warner to make conversation, and Lisa sat next to him, working to appear casual. Warner glanced up at them then back down to his drink, apparently disinterested.

"Bartender? We need another bourbon and a baybreeze over here, please," Jackson requested, avoiding the discreet dirty look Lisa gave him in response. She saw Warner perk up as Jackson spoke, noticing his American accent.

"You American?" the older man asked, temporarily averting his attention from his drink. Jackson acted surprised at the question and smiled.

"Yes…we're from Chicago. You?"

"Texas," the man said, straightening a bit from his slouched posture. "We haven't met another American since we got here. I'm here on vacation with my wife. What brings you to Edinburgh?"

"Anniversary," Jackson answered with a smile, taking Lisa's hand again and giving her an admiring look. She gulped and forced a smile. She felt a wave of nausea run through her when the older man smirked at her.

"Congrats," Warner said, bringing the amber-colored liquid to his lips again. "Irene – my wife – wasn't feeling well so she's back in the room. I promised her I'd bid on something good. So far, I haven't found anything interesting. You bid on anything?" The man was obviously a bit inebriated.

"A few things," Jackson answered, sitting back a bit as the bartender placed their drinks on the bar. "I'm Colin," he said quickly, holding his hand out to Warner. After shaking, he gestured to Lisa. "This is my wife, Tessa." Lisa also shook his hand.

"Pleased to meet you," she said softly, proud of herself for not shivering at the touch of the man's hand.

"Likewise. I'm Tom," Warner mumbled politely. "So what kind of business are two in?"

"Management," Jackson replied. "I manage at the Boeing headquarters, and Tessa here…" he turned to Lisa to let her speak.

"I manage a luxury hotel in Chicago," she said quickly. Warner nodded with raised eyebrows, obviously impressed.

"Sounds like you two do pretty well for yourselves," he assumed, showing renewed interest in them.

"What do you do?" Lisa asked, trying to take initiative with the conversation. She was interested in hearing how he would answer.

"Charity," Warner answered smugly. "Non-for-profit work. My wife and I have a foundation for immigrant families." Jackson nodded.

"Fascinating. Is that what brings you here tonight? An interest in charity?" Jackson asked, a sarcastic slant to his voice that Lisa knew only she would recognize.

The man blinked at him.

"Yes…yes, of course," Warner said. "We're always looking for ways to give back."

Lisa wanted to vomit.

"I have to be honest with you though, Tom," Jackson said, swirling the ice in his drink. "I've never been a big fan of letting foreigners into the country. I think they should stay where they belong. They're not good for much, other than stealing American jobs," he said with a hint of bitterness. Lisa winced at how bigoted he sounded, but knew it was necessary. "But that's great if it's what you and your wife are into."

Warner's eyebrows rose at the words.

"We're all entitled to our opinions," he said. "Irene and I really believe in helping those people."

"I'm sure you do," Jackson said dismissively, turning his head to watch passing guests. Lisa glanced at him, afraid he sounded too condescending, but Warner continued to study them with curiosity. The seed had been planted.

Jackson and Warner continued in trite conversation for the next several minutes, discussing the recent election and professional sports, two topics Lisa had little interest in. She let Jackson do most of the talking.

Finally he turned to her.

"About ready to leave, Tess? We should probably be going…"

"Yes," she said quickly, suddenly eager to leave. "We should go." They both stood, and Warner looked disappointed.

"Are you sure you need to go?" he pressed. "It's still early…"

"We have a dinner reservation," Lisa said, gaining a small smile from Jackson. Warner stared at the floor, his eyes moving quickly as he tried to formulate a way to see them again.

"It'd be a shame to lose contact with the only other Americans staying in this hotel," Warner said, attempting to sound casual. "I'm sure Irene would like to meet you two, and I'd love to talk some business. How about we meet up again sometime this week?"

Jackson looked like he was considering it, then looked at Lisa as if for approval. She tried to smile but her face wouldn't obey her.

"I don't know, Tom. This is our anniversary and I don't want Tessa to feel neglected," he said with a hint of concern.

"Of course not, Colin," Lisa said in response, thinking quickly. "I'd love to meet Irene. She sounds lovely, and it'd be nice to have an American girl to talk to while we're here." Jackson smiled at her, proud of her ingenuity.

"Sounds like we're in, Tom," Jackson said, pulling a pen from his pocket and scribbling on a napkin from the bar. "Here is our suite number. How about drinks tomorrow night? Maybe seven-ish?"

Warner eagerly took the napkin. "Perfect," he said.

"See you then," Jackson said with a smirk, a hint of malice in his eye.

Jackson and Lisa nodded polite goodbyes and headed for the door.

_

_

_

"What a buffoon. That was way too easy," Jackson said to himself when they reached the privacy of the elevator. Lisa clasped her hands in front of her and was quiet. "That bastard is obviously so eager to make a sale he'll go to any length to get it. Even look desperate." Jackson turned to her as he spoke, desperately trying to discipline himself to keep a safe distance. If he stayed too close he would probably lose control.

Lisa nodded but didn't look at him. She noticed that he had put space between them again, now out of the public eye and out of character. She'd grown accustomed to his touch the past couple hours and she felt strangely empty with him on the opposite side of the elevator.

She felt a sense of relief as they stepped into their suite. The event she'd been dreading all day was in the past, and she wanted to relax and clear her head. Going to the bedroom, she immediately removed her heels and flung them carelessly to the floor, relieved they couldn't hurt her anymore. Then she reached up and pulled a few pins from her hair, shaking it as it cascaded down her back. She closed her eyes as she massaged her scalp with her fingers.

Opening them again, she connected eyes with Jackson, who had apparently been watching her. His eyes were intense and his jaw was slightly clenched.

She felt a flutter in her stomach and averted her gaze, embarrassed beneath his scrutiny. He shook his head at himself and finally looked away, bringing a hand up to massage the back of his neck.

"You did well tonight, Lisa," he said with an impersonal air of authority.

"Thanks," she said softly, watching as he unbuttoned his jacket and slid it off his shoulders. He turned from her to hang it in the closet. Watching the back of him, Lisa suddenly felt the urge to touch him again. He was increasingly attractive to her, and at that point she didn't care anymore that it was wrong to want him. She was tired of depriving herself. His touch tonight had inflamed her senses, and she wanted more of it.

Approaching him carefully from behind, she started to slide her hands around his waist to hold him against her.

He instantly jerked away from her.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked loudly, eyes severe. Lisa shrank back in shock at his reaction. She felt her eyes go moist, hurt by the sudden rejection.

"What?" she asked, a slight tremor in her voice.

"Stop trying to seduce me. I'm tired of getting hit whenever you think you get the upper hand. Just knock it off," he snapped. Lisa stared at him.

"No, that's not it at all," she said softly, subconsciously fingering the large diamond on her finger. "It's just that tonight went so well and…you just…I thought…"

"It's called _acting_, Lisa. It wasn't real. So get whatever you're thinking out of your head," he retorted. Lisa felt herself bristle, angry at him for pretending there was nothing going on between them. He was such an arrogant ass.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you?" she shouted so loudly Jackson's eyes widened. "Why are you being like this?"

She watched his hands turn to fists and his eyes blaze with new flame.

"I'm tired of wanting what I can't have!" he shouted. "And you're not helping!"

Lisa stopped suddenly, in shock at his words. Before she could respond he quickly headed for the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

Stunned, she slowly lowered herself onto the edge of the bed and blinked back tears. What did she expect? For Jackson to just sweep her off her feet?

_I'm such a fool._

_

_

_

An hour went by and Jackson still hadn't emerged from the bathroom. Having dried her tears, Lisa realized how starving she was and ordered room service. It arrived promptly, and she eagerly ate the turkey club sandwich and fresh vegetables. She considered ordering Jackson something too, figuring he was probably hungry, but then realized she didn't care. If he wanted to pout in the bathroom, let him.

Another hour went by and still no sign of Jackson. She considered attempting to check on him, but decided against it for fear of angering him further. He'd come out when he was ready. She humorlessly smirked at the thought that such a control-freak tough guy like Jackson would hide from her. She flicked on the television and perused the unfamiliar channels.

Enough time passed for her to begin to feel sleepy, and she decided to go ahead and get ready for bed. She removed the diamond necklace and placed it carefully on the dresser. She couldn't bring herself to remove the ring.

Pulling on a soft white nightgown, she slipped under the heavy blankets and reveled in the Egyptian cotton sheets. She pulled herself as far to the edge as possible, knowing that Jackson would eventually emerge and want to go to bed. She didn't want him to touch her when he did. She flicked off the light. Her mind was a frenzy of tormented thoughts, but she eventually felt herself calm and begin to drift off to sleep…

Her eyes flew open when she heard the bathroom door creak open. Her heart fluttered again and she quickly shut her eyes, choosing to feign sleep. She was curled on her side with her back to the bathroom door, so it would be easy.

She heard Jackson approach slowly, and she froze when she felt him lift the covers and get into bed. He lay quietly for several minutes, and Lisa assumed he'd fallen asleep. Sleep eluded her now…her nerves were on pins and needles.

Suddenly she heard him move toward her in the darkness. His arm wrapped slowly around her waist, and he pulled her across the bed against him. She was getting tired of his mood swings. Stiffening, she tried to pull out of his grasp.

He growled and pulled her back against him, burying his face in his hair. Chills ran through her.

"I'm sorry, Lisa," he said into her hair. Lisa was so bewildered by the apology and his nearness that she almost couldn't respond.

"It's fine," she choked, softening against him. He squeezed her tighter against him, then released her and sat up.

"You know how you asked me if I've ever been in love?" he said, sounding like he needed to get something off his chest. She turned on her other side to face him, although she could barely make him out in the darkness.

"Yes…" she said softly, feeling her body begin to shake lightly. He paused.

"Well I have been." He hesitated. "When I was following you in prep for the Keefe job, I…I thought I was in love with you."

Lisa felt her stomach clench tightly at the admission, and her pulse pounded in her ears. This couldn't be real…

"I'd convinced myself that you would forgive me after the job was over, and I could steal you away. Things started off well when I first met you, and then you completely fucked things up by lying to me and fighting back. It would have been so much easier if you'd just cooperated, Lisa," he growled, irritated anew at the memory of the Keefe job. "Your dad wouldn't have died, and I could've taken you with me."

Lisa listened intently, her mind going back to the airport and the red eye flight. He had been oozing charm before they had gotten on the plane. She later figured it had just been to get her to let her guard down, but could it have stemmed from real attraction? Then she thought about their little cat-and-mouse game at her dad's house. She realized Jackson's behavior then was probably consistent with what would happen when someone like him felt rejected. He would be livid and lash out the only way he knew how.

"And now," Jackson continued with a humorless laugh. "Now I have you again and I'm supposed to keep my distance because we're coworkers. You'll have to excuse me if I get a little pissed about it sometimes," he added bitterly. Lisa felt anger sweep through her.

"Why do you have to be so damned professional all the time, Jackson?" she suddenly spat as she sat up, startling him. "Will you really sacrifice something you want this badly just for your job? Is that all you care about?"

Jackson was quiet. When he didn't respond she brought a hand up to touch his face in the darkness.

"Does what I want matter at all?" she whispered, pulling his face down to hers. She felt his hot breath against her mouth. He was still hesitating, so she pressed her lips against his, kissing him softly. He kissed her back, than put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away a little.

"Of course it does," he said huskily, determined to get this resolved. "I couldn't let myself believe that you actually wanted me back. Not after everything I put you through."

"Isn't that for me to decide?" she responded. She placed a hand on his chest, reveling in its firmness. "Don't you think I've been fighting this too? Do you have any idea how _sick_ it is that I want you?"

She heard him chuckle in the darkness. Encouraged, she leaned forward to kiss him again.

"Lisa," he gasped, obviously fighting his desire. "If we start this I'm not sure if I can stop. Are you sure this is what you want?"

She considered the question for a moment. Maybe it was hormones, maybe she was crazy, but right now she couldn't think of anything she wanted more. With shaking hands, she grasped the front of his shirt and lay back, pulling him on top of her.

"I'm sure, Jackson."

He paused for only a moment above her, then fully descended his mouth onto hers.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N So I decided to add a love scene. I think originally the idea of writing about their first time intimidated me, but I decided to get over it and write anyway. I'm nothing if not flexible. :-) I worked hard to keep it sexy without being smutty. By the way, this is the first sex scene I've ever written. So be kind! Who am I kidding, you guys are always kind…**

Lisa felt something within her blossom and uncurl as Jackson embraced her and consumed her lips. Everything was finally out in the open. She didn't have to hide her attraction to him anymore. Though she was eager for what was to come, she relished just being held and kissed by him. His masculine scent made her dizzy and his weight on top of her made her body shiver with anticipation. But she soon realized it felt like something was missing in the darkness. She wanted to see him. His eyes, his expressions, his body.

"Jackson?" she whispered, momentarily breaking the kiss. He paused above her, the still moment letting her feel how hard his heart was thundering. "Turn on the light," she ordered. He stopped for a minute, then quickly reached over and flicked on the small lamp on the nightstand, filling the room with dim light.

She sucked in a breath at the look in his eyes. Pure lust sizzled deep within them. She'd seen that look before, but it was intensified now, as if he was finally letting her see his true desire for her. It almost frightened her, but her longing for him outweighed her fear.

Jackson took a moment to run his eyes again over the incredibly desirable woman pressed beneath him. She was so fucking beautiful. He could look at that face every day for the rest of his life and never get tired of it. She felt so soft beneath him, and he could feel every curve of her body pressing against his. He lowered his mouth to her neck and began to love on her smooth skin. The soft groans she emitted only inflamed his desire, and bit down firmly on her neck. She gasped at the sudden rush of pain, but surprised him by bringing her hands behind his head and pressing him harder against her. He lowered his head and bit the lower curve of her neck, provoking another gasp. Her fingers curled into his hair.

"Again," she whispered hoarsely. He smiled. His little Lisa was an animal. He brought his head around to the other side of her neck, catching her flesh in his teeth again, biting a little harder. Her mouth dropped at the sting, and when he released her she brought his head back up to hers. She kissed him fiercely, and Jackson soon matched her pace as their mouths battled.

Suddenly he realized that there was too much fabric between them.

"Get this damn nightgown off," he growled, breaking the kiss. He pulled at her straps then decided to go from the bottom and began to lift her nightgown up her body. He wanted to rip it off of her, but he forced him to pull somewhat slowly, wanting to savor every new inch of her body that was revealed to him.

Lisa felt herself stiffen as he pulled at her gown, wanting him to continue but battling an unexpected sense of modesty. She worked not the cover herself as her soft pink satin undies became exposed to the light. She watched as Jackson's eyes grew inflamed at the sight of her beautiful bare legs and panties, and he stopped pulling at the gown. He smoothed his hands up her thighs slowly, then brought them around and squeezed her hips. She braced herself for him to rip her panties from her body, but he ran his hands up her sides and continued to lift her nightie. After one more swift movement he tossed the rumpled cloth to the floor, and she lay bare before him, only a small piece of satin cloth keeping her from total nudity. She felt self-conscious beneath his scrutiny, but the adoration and lust in his eyes assured her that he liked what he saw.

Jackson lowered his head to her stomach and tickled her by swirling his tongue over her skin. She giggled softly but didn't stop him. He moved slowly upward as he ran his lips and tongue along her flesh, then paused right beneath her breasts. She froze.

He began to kiss the underside of her breasts, sending delicious chills all through her body. He ran his mouth around to the outer side, gently sucked, then moved to the upper part of her breast and kissed there. Lisa loved the attention but began to grow impatient, as it almost seemed like he teasing her by deliberately avoiding the most sensitive peak. He kissed the inner side of her breast.

"Dammit, Jackson," she whispered. He smiled again, loving her impatience. Finally he closed his mouth over the peak of her breast, sucking hard. Her mouth dropped as sudden pleasure ripped through her, and she pressed his head urgently against her. Jackson continued to give her breast long slow sucks, adoring her reaction and the way she arched her back against him. He massaged and caressed the other one with his hand, not wanting to ignore it. Her breasts were perfectly sized and so beautifully shaped, he could love on them for hours.

Releasing her from his mouth he moved over to the neglected breast and began to suck her there as well. Fresh pleasure washed through her and she felt herself begin to grow more and more aroused as he flicked his tongue over the peak. She moaned when she felt him bite down gently.

Overwhelmed by the sensations he was giving her, she began to rip at his shirt, trying to pull it from his body. She needed to feel his skin against hers. Jackson sat up and obliged her, pulling his shirt over his head and exposing his toned upper body. She paused for a second to take in the sight of him then pulled him back down against her, absolutely reveling in the feeling of his hard chest pressed against her breasts.

She kissed him again, then pushed him away slightly.

"On your back," she commanded. He paused for a moment and looked at her, then smiled at the expression on her face and obeyed. She immediately straddled him, sitting directly on top of the evidence of his arousal. He groaned at the sudden pressure and the thought that only a couple layers of thin fabric kept them apart. He held her by the hips and took in the sight of her flushed face and incredibly body, almost unable to believe that this was actually happening. Lisa Reisart, the object of his lust and fantasies for the past six months, was naked and mounting him.

Lisa slid her hands over the smooth skin of his chest and stomach as he looked up at her with wide eyes. She lowered and kissed his collarbone and neck, then paid him in kind by catching his skin between her teeth and biting down very hard. He quickly put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her up. She smirked at him as he brought a hand to where she had bitten him. Jackson stared at the drops of blood on his fingers.

"Hey…" he said, indignant but aroused by her carnality. He noticed her smiling wickedly. "You're going to pay for that," he seethed, grabbing her and throwing her down on her back. He pinned her wrists on either side of her head and kissed her violently, ignoring her muffled cries. She fought and squirmed beneath him, but it only served to increase his arousal. Finally he released her mouth and gave her a mischievous grin. She stared up at him, gasping for breath.

"Why, Lisa…" he said innocently, brushing a finger across her bottom lip. "I do believe you're bleeding." He showed her the small drop of her blood on his finger. Her brow furrowed.

"You asshole—"

He silenced her with his lips, kissing her more gently this time. She was soon returning it, their little tiff quickly forgotten.

Sliding a hand down her body, he squeezed her breast again, then smoothed it down her side and squeezed her hip. He fingered the soft fabric at her hip then ran a teasing finger along the top hem of her panties. He felt her gasp against his mouth but she didn't break the kiss. Running his fingers very gently down the fabric, he softly touched her most intimate area, feeling hot moisture through the material. His touch was mild and controlled but he could feel how every movement sent shudders through her body. She broke the kiss and began to buck her hips slightly against him, begging him to continue.

Finally ending her suffering, he slowly slid his hand into her panties.

"Leese…" he groaned, parting her with his fingers and feeling how incredibly aroused she was. She gasped at his touch and her eyes closed as he began to gently explore her flesh. Jackson's fingers moved slowly and expertly, wanting to discover every little part of her body. Without warning he suddenly jammed two fingers inside, emitting a gasp from her. He withdrew and did it again, enjoying her reaction. He withdrew again and began to lightly run his fingers over her most sensitive part. Lisa surprised him by grabbing his head and pulling him in for a forceful kiss, distracting him from his work.

"Jackson," she gasped, making eye contact with him. "I want…I want you to lick me," she whispered hoarsely, almost as if the words were difficult to say. She watched as his eyes darkened and his full lips slowly turned into a malicious grin. There would be no teasing or making her wait this time. He instantly moved down her and ripped her panties down her legs. He paused for just a moment to run hungry eyes over her completely nude body, enjoying her soft curves.

Lisa laid her head back and gasped in anticipation as she felt him slowly spread her legs. He wrapped his arms beneath her thighs and around her hips, bringing his face close to her. His hot breath on her flesh drove her crazy.

Finally his tongue penetrated her. Lisa yelped at the intense pleasure that suddenly coursed through her and she subconsciously spread her legs a little wider. Jackson's tongue invaded her at the bottom of her opening and slid slowly up to the top. Shivers of ecstasy rushed through her and involuntary moans escaped her lips as he repeated that movement over and over.

Jackson felt her pressing his head harder against her, so he began to swirl his tongue over her most sensitive nub, loving her taste and how he was making her feel. Over the next several minutes he alternated gently sucking and running his tongue over her, having to hold her squirming hips down to keep her still. Knowing she was close, he flicked his tongue furiously over her flesh, causing her hips to buck and her breathing to increase.

Finally it happened. Lisa threw her head back and gasped heavily, indescribable bliss surging through her entire body. She grasped his hair, needing something to hold on to as she shook with pleasure.

Jackson licked her thoroughly until the last shudder had run its course. When she finally relaxed against the mattress, satisfied and spent, he placed a kiss on her inner thigh and moved up to lie next to her. Her eyes were closed and her mouth held open with heavy breaths. She looked incredibly sexy to him right now, completely exposed and exhausted by an orgasm he had given her. He couldn't wait to make love to her anymore. He brought a hand to her chin and turned her head toward him.

"Leese…" he said, causing her eyes to open. "I'm going to fuck you now."

She blinked at the blunt statement, then felt another wave of arousal rush through her at the titillating look in his eyes. His face was intense and his jaw was slightly clenched, obviously working extremely hard to keep himself restrained.

"Finally," she said with mock irritation. He smiled and leaned to kiss her again, his tongue eagerly brushing hers. She groaned as she tasted herself on his lips, almost wishing he would spend all night with his face between her thighs.

Jackson began to move on top of her. He straddled her hips and she started to pull at his boxers, suddenly very eager to get him naked. He helped her along by pulling them the rest of the way off himself and tossing them to the floor. She stared at his naked body, running her eyes over his taut muscles and smooth skin. He was absolutely gorgeous to her.

Placing both hands on her thighs, he spread her legs and lowered himself, slowly sliding into her. Jackson moaned as her wet heat sheathed him, and he buried his face in her neck.

Lisa gasped at the pinch of pain as her body adjusted to his size, then wrapped her arms around his back, buckling up for the ride. She adored the feeling of him inside of her. This was absolutely unreal; Jackson Rippner was making love to her. She yelped as he instantly increased his speed, immediate delectation building inside her.

Jackson didn't bother with the slow and gentle; his thrusts were fast and hard in and out of her body. He was staking his claim; making her his. Her body felt incredible, soft and tight and so wet. His teeth bore down on her shoulder, provoking another moan from her. He lifted his head and gave her another deep, wet kiss. Then as Lisa closed her eyes and laid her head back again, he tried to take in every sensation possible. The smell of hot sweat in the air, the softness of her skin, the sound of her breathing, the look on her face, the taste of her flesh…

Feeling a pleasurable tightness began to form deep in her belly, Lisa began to move her hips in rhythm with his. Her movement only energized him more, and Jackson grasped her leg and wrapped it around his waist, allowing him to go deeper within her. A sound of pain mixed with pleasure emanated from her throat as he continued to pound into her, shaking the bed with their passion.

He could feel himself getting close.

"Look at me, Lisa," he commanded huskily, wanting to feel that intimate connection with her. Lisa tried to do as he asked but found herself intimidated by the passion of his gaze. She quickly closed her eyes.

"Look at me," he growled. She obeyed and kept her eyes locked with his as she felt her own orgasm become eminent. Jackson's thrusts soon grew in intensity and she watched his blue eyes glaze over as extreme pleasure ripped through him.

His handsome face twisted in ecstasy was almost too much to take. The sounds he made were so incredibly sexy to her that it pushed her over the edge as well, and she felt her insides began to clench around him, coaxing him even deeper inside her. She gasped with pleasure, holding on to his shoulders for dear life as her whole body shook. In the peak of her agony, she moaned his name…

Finally they both collapsed into each other, spent and satisfied.

Jackson breathed heavily into Lisa's neck, his body heavy against hers as exhaustion overtook him. She ran her fingers gently up and down his back in a gesture of affection, absolutely satisfied and glowing. She felt her heart would burst with feelings for him.

Jackson slowly lifted himself off of her and lay down beside her, never taking his hands off of her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him, not wanting to lose the feeling of her skin against his. He placed a small kiss on her neck, his facial expression full of some emotion Lisa couldn't quite interpret.

"Lisa…" he started. But he didn't finish. No other words would come. She smiled at the frustrated look on his face and kissed him, letting him know he didn't need to say anything. She didn't know what to say right now either. She smiled and curled up against him, simply happy right now just being with him.

They laid in silence for several minutes, their breathing finally evening out. Lisa hadn't felt Jackson move for a while and wondered if he had already fallen asleep. Then she felt his hand reach up to cup her breast again, then slide down her stomach. She turned around to face him.

"Already, Jackson?" she said teasingly, noticing that arousal had already returned to his face. He didn't smile but his eyes lit with humor.

"Just shut up and get on your back," he ordered. She looked at him mischievously, her beautiful face still flushed with their recent passion.

"I don't think so," she said, sitting up and leaning over him. "This time, I get to have my way with you."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N Go back one chapter if you're looking for the added love scene.**

Lisa awoke in a daze to the soft morning sunshine streaming in through the windows. She had the vague memory of some wonderful dream, but momentary morning amnesia kept her from remembering what it was. Then she felt wet kisses being placed delicately on her stomach. She smiled.

"Good morning," she said quietly, affectionately placing her hand on top of his head. Jackson looked up at her, his arresting eyes almost glowing in the morning light. Giving her a small smile, he went back to work on her stomach.

She laid back and closed her eyes again, trying to savor the moment. She was still exhausted; she'd fallen asleep just a few hours ago. But her body felt more alive than it had in a long time. He'd awakened something in her that had been dead for years, and the bliss she felt in this moment was beyond words. There were no terrible memories. No fear. No walls. There was only him.

She sighed contentedly.

"How did you sleep?" she asked. He paused from his kissing but didn't move.

"I didn't," he said against her stomach.

"You didn't? Why not?" she laughed, holding his face up to look at her. He looked endearingly dazed and totally exhausted.

"I didn't want to," he said simply, sitting up a little. He leaned down and kissed her mouth lightly, his lips brushing over hers like they were fragile. But he ended the kiss sooner than she wanted, and she brought her hands up around the back of his neck, pulling his head back down. She kissed him fiercely, fresh excitement coursing through her. He groaned and lowered himself onto her again, then abruptly broke the kiss and pushed himself up.

"Leese, you'd better ease up a little unless you're ready for round three," he said hoarsely, his face flushed.

"Sorry," she said with an innocent smile, knowing she was entirely too sore to let him at her again. "I just love your lips." A chill ran through her as she briefly relived the passion from the night before.

"Shit…" he said, suddenly noticing the numerous teeth marks on her neck and shoulders. He reached out and ran a few fingers over her reddened skin. "I practically mauled you," he said, angry with himself. "Does it hurt?"

She shook her head, a hint of teasing in her eyes. She absolutely loved it when he used his teeth on her. It was like she turned him into a wild animal.

"You bite me whenever you want," she purred, bringing her face close to his. Smiling wickedly, he kissed her again.

He broke the kiss and sat back a little. He looked contented, but Lisa detected a hint of uncertainty.

"What's the matter?" she asked softly, praying it wasn't what she thought it was.

He glanced out the window, his handsome brow furrowed. He let out a sigh, and then looked back at her. Bringing up a hand he brushed some of her hair behind her ear.

"Nothing," he finally said. "It's just…" He hesitated. A sudden fear gripped her heart.

"You don't regret what happened, do you?" she asked, searching his eyes.

"No!" he said quickly. "Not at all. I'm just…I'm just trying to figure out how this is going to work."

She nodded, although bothered that he was bringing this up so quickly. She wanted to just bask in the moment for a while longer before they had to face reality. She didn't care what the implications were with the UA, but Jackson certainly did. She didn't plan on sticking around long enough for it to matter. Jackson had been working for them for 10 years.

"Do you want it to work?" she asked softly, trying to keep her gaze neutral. Her insides were a torrent of emotions. She didn't want to think about the implications of being in love with someone like Jackson. Even if she knew for certain that this would only end in heartbreak, she couldn't stand the thought of backing away now. She was completely smitten.

"Of course I do, Lisa," he replied, raising his voice a little, gripping her bare shoulders to make her understand. Her questioning his feelings for her exasperated him. Did she think he could just dismiss her after this? "I'm just trying to figure out a way to handle this. "

"What does your company have against you being with someone anyway?" she asked, aggravated at the thought of something like this coming between them. He sighed and laid down beside her.

"Because emotional attachment is weakness. It clouds your mind and affects your decision-making. The UA only hires single, uncommitted people. They don't have as much to lose and they're less likely to have personal issues, like with families or significant others. They make much better employees. At least in this business."

Lisa listened and ran her fingers over his chest as he spoke, loving being able to touch him whenever she wanted.

"So what happens if an employee starts a relationship or has a child?" she asked, afraid to hear the response.

"Prompt dismissal," he answered. "And a stiff reminder of your original contract with the company, basically that they'll hunt you down if you try to go to authorities for some reason."

"So they don't kill you?" she asked, feeling a little relieved. At least she wouldn't put Jackson's life in danger by being with him. She felt his chest shake as he laughed.

"No, Lisa. They don't kill you," he said, amused by her assumption. "The company may have stiff penalties for some offenses, but falling in love isn't one of them. They just don't want to have to deal with you once it's happened. They'd rather replace you with someone who has a clearer head."

She nodded, and grimly realized there were three options. Either Jackson left the company for her, stayed with the company and kept their relationship a secret, or decided not to be with her for the sake of his job. She didn't dare ask which option he was favoring; he probably didn't even know at this point. He'd been with the company for ten years, made ridiculous money, and had the respect and admiration of his coworkers. His dedication to his job kept him from opening up to her in the first place. Lisa knew he cared for her on some level, but she had no idea how deep his feelings went. But she couldn't imagine he would give all that up just to be with her. Maybe getting involved him wasn't such a good idea.

Her throat closed up at the thought of losing him. Suddenly needing to distance herself from him, she pushed herself up and started to get off the bed. Jackson quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.

"Dammit…" he said, his eyes stern. "Don't do that. Stop jumping to conclusions. We'll figure something out."

She nodded but kept her distance. Pausing for a moment, she leaned over and grabbed her white nightgown that had been thrown to the floor in a fit of passion. She pulled it over her head and down her body, covering herself. Somebody might have guessed she was just chilly, but Jackson knew her well enough to recognize that she was putting up a barrier between them.

He sighed and pulled her against him, annoyed that she was closing up again.

"Come back to me," he said, leaning down to kiss her. "Stop being all emotional and think about this logically. Even though we don't know how this is going to play out, wouldn't you rather us actually enjoy the time we do have together?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line. That was absolutely not what she wanted to hear from him right now.

"Doesn't it make more sense to reel in the emotions until we know how this will play out?" she argued. He smirked at her logic.

"There can be no 'reeling in' the emotions, Leese. They're out on the table, naked and plain as day. I want you and you want me. It's a done deal," he said with a smile, running his hand lightly over her neck. The sadistic side of him enjoyed seeing his teeth indents on her skin. He'd marked her. She was his.

Lisa knew he was right. They'd opened Pandora's box and now they'd have to deal with the consequences, good or bad. She feared the depth of her emotions. She was afraid they would eventually cloud her judgment.

Jackson watched her face as thoughts ran through her mind, then kissed her cheek and leaned over to check the alarm clock.

"We should probably start getting ready for the day," he said, lying back against the pillow. Lisa glanced at him.

Oh yeah. They were going to lure two people to their deaths tonight.

"You can get in the shower first, but there's one stipulation," he said, a serious look on his face.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" she said, sitting up a bit. A glint of mischief lit his eyes, and he pulled her back down against the pillow and kissed her thoroughly. He abruptly grabbed the bottom of her nightgown and pulled it up her body, then broke the kiss to pull it the rest of the way over her head. He tossed it back on the floor, giving her a lascivious grin.

"You have to walk there naked."

_

_

_

Lisa emerged from the bathroom several minutes later wrapped in a fluffy white towel. She realized Jackson was still lying on the bed, and then saw that he was sound asleep. He was lying on his stomach, his arms wrapped around the pillow and the blankets up to his waist. She smiled and approached. He looked so peaceful when he slept. You almost wouldn't know how violent he could be when he lost his temper. Lisa sighed and ran her fingers down his back. This was the man she'd fallen for? Was she insane?

She shook her head. Their attraction to each other was certainly a paradox, but life doesn't always make sense. She leaned over and kissed his stubbled cheek. He didn't stir. Straightening, she decided to just let him sleep for a while.

She took her time getting ready, pulling on jeans and a soft blue turtleneck sweater. She applied light makeup and decided to let her hair dry with its natural wave. Once dressed she went to the window and again took in the sight of the beautiful city below. She didn't want to wake Jackson, but wasn't sure how to pass the time while he slept.

She felt a wave of nausea sweep over her at the thought of what tonight would bring. Jackson would probably tell her to go over the plan or something while she waited, but she knew the plan backwards and forwards. It wasn't that complicated. What was complicated was how she was going to deal with being a part of this.

Running both hands through her hair, she realized what she had to do. Having been forced into this situation, she recognized that the only way she could bring herself to actually go through with it would be to decide for herself that Thomas Warner and his wife deserved to die. She already hated them and everything they were about, but learning more about them and their 'business' would help finalize it for her.

Pulling on her shoes, she glanced at Jackson and wondered if he'd be angry that she was leaving for a while. Then she decided that he couldn't let him control her forever and that he'd get over it. She'd probably be back before he woke up anyway. She left a quick note for him by the bed and was gone.

_

_

_

Jackson awoke a couple hours later, groggy and wondering how long he'd been asleep. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced over at the alarm clock. His eyes widened and he immediately shot up in bed.

"Leese?"

No answer. He felt a small pang of concern but decided not to jump to conclusions. There was no way she'd leave him now. Pulling on his boxers he started to wander the spacious suite. No Lisa. He checked the bathroom. No Lisa.

Fury coursed through him, and his hands turned to fists. He was stupid to have trusted her. How many times had he let her seduce him just so she could use it against him? He'd let his guard down, and she'd taken advantage of the situation. How dare she pretend to care for him and then abandon him. That heartless wench. That girl would have hell to pay when he found her…

Running to the dresser, he pulled out some jeans and t-shirt and dressed quickly. His breathing was heavy, anger and hurt coursing through him. He had no idea where to look for her – all he knew was that he had to find her. He was quickly out the door and forced himself not to sprint down the hallway.

When he reached the lobby he realized that the concierge might have seen her leave. Working to calm his features, he carefully approached the man.

"Excuse me," Jackson said. The man looked up and put down the thick novel he was reading.

"How can I help you, sir?" the man asked in a deep melodic voice.

"Did you happen to see my wife pass through here this morning? She has long auburn hair, stands about 5'5''…"

"Five feet five inches, sir?"

"Yes," Jackson said impatiently. "Have you seen her?" The man considered this for a minute.

"Perhaps… Lovely girl, sir? Big green eyes?"

"Yeah, that sounds like her."

"Ahh yes…" the man said, smiling a bit. "She passed through here a couple hours ago. Asked me to direct her to the nearest Internet café."

Jackson's brow crinkled. An Internet café? What was she planning to do there? Book a flight? Email her dad? Wouldn't she just go to the police? It didn't make sense. Turning his attention back to the concierge, he worked to remain casual.

"Oh, she did say she was planning to email her family this morning. I must've forgotten. Where did you direct her?" Jackson asked. The man named a street just a few blocks away.

Jackson shot out the door, jaw clenched and fists tight.

-

_

Lisa sat quietly in the practically empty café, completely engrossed in what she was reading. She'd lost track of time a while ago, and she'd found more than enough to make her question the Warners' right to live. She'd researched human trafficking in general, and it shocked her to see how prevalent it was even in the United States. People were kidding themselves if they though the States were immune to such atrocities. She learned that human trafficking had a devastating impact on the individual victims, who often suffered physical and emotional abuse, rape, threats against themselves and their families, passport theft, and even death. Though she tried to keep the thoughts from her mind, she found herself again reliving the hell she experienced in that parking lot. It'd made her feel dirty, powerless, and defiled. But she supposed she was lucky – she'd only had to go through it once. These women had to endure it every day of their lives. And Warner and his wife were profiting from it.

Lisa sat back in her chair and sighed, rubbing her eyes. Could she really go through with this? Those people didn't deserve the air they breathed.

Lifting her eyes to the window, she watched passers-by and wondered how many of them would read about the Balmoral Hotel murder in the paper tomorrow. Suddenly she froze when she saw Jackson walk by the window. What was he doing? Was he looking for her? Her brow wrinkled in puzzlement and she quickly shut down the computer and went for the door. Looking down the street in the direction he'd headed, she scanned the crowd but didn't see him.

"Jackson?" she said softly to herself, heading down the street. She wandered down a couple blocks, searching the crowd, but not finding him. She paused in front of an alley. How could he just disappear?

Suddenly she felt herself being yanked into the alley. A hand clamped over her mouth, and she screamed against the pressure. She couldn't see her attacker, but a familiar scent hit her nostrils. Jackson?

He pulled her behind a dumpster to shield them from prying eyes. Finally he turned her around to face him, holding her upper arms painfully tight. Her eyes widened at the rage in his eyes.

"Nice try, Leese…" he seethed in her face. "You almost had me this time." She blinked in confusion, not understanding, then tried to break away from him.

"You're hurting me, Jackson. Let go!" she shouted. He lessened his grip but didn't release her.

"So you can try to run away again? I don't think so…" he said angrily, pulling her roughly against him. "I should've known you were just trying to get me to let my guard down…"

Finally she understood.

"What the hell are you talking about? Didn't you see my note?" she asked, exasperated. He paused and blinked at her, some of the anger leaving his face.

"What note?" he snapped. She sighed and closed her eyes. Was it always going to be like this? One little misunderstanding and he blows a blood vessel?

"I left you a note to tell you where I was going. I just wanted to do some more research on Warner. I was planning on being back before you even woke up," she explained, now wishing she'd never left. He listened, searching her eyes and realizing she was telling the truth. He released her, stepped back and ran a hand through his hair. "You thought I was trying to escape?" she asked softly.

He looked at her grimly.

"How could I possibly just leave after…"

"You can't just run off like that, Lisa, note or no note. You're still my responsibility. I'm not supposed to let you out of my sight," he said firmly, referring to their work relationship. She knew he was just using that as an excuse because he didn't _want_ to let her out of his sight. It was going to be interesting to see if Jackson could transition from being her captor to being anything else. That was all their relationship had ever been up until yesterday

"You have to learn to trust me, Jackson," she shot back. "I'm not going to leave you here. I'm in this job with you now."

His eyes lit, pleased that she had finally resigned herself to helping him see this job through to the end. He knew she'd give in eventually once she learned what a dick Warner was.

"But listen to me, Jackson," she said, moving closer to him and gripping the front of his shirt. She looked deep into his eyes. "You can _not_ treat me like this whenever you get angry with me. I'm not going to put up with it."

His eyes flashed at her. He was not accustomed to a woman telling him what to do.

"You knew what I was when we started this, Lisa," he snapped. "Now you think you're going to change me? It's not like we're even actually together."

Though she tried to fight it, she couldn't keep her eyes from going moist at his words. Then she regained her composure, keeping the tears at bay. Her brow lowered defiantly.

"And we never will be if you keep it up," she said definitively. He stared at her, surprised by her boldness, but said nothing. They regarded each other stubbornly for a moment, then Jackson took her hand and led her back toward the street.

"C'mon…we need to get back to the hotel," he muttered.

_

_

_

The next few hours in their hotel suite passed entirely too quickly. Even though she had decided she was going to see this through to the end, she was still incredibly tense. Lisa stood in her usual spot by the window, surveying the city and worrying her bottom lip.

"Relax, Leese," Jackson said, approaching her from the side and putting his arm around her waist. Of course he was cool as a cucumber. He'd done this a million times. "It'll all be over soon and then we can get out of here."

She looked over at him, apprehension in her eyes. He looked magnificent, dressed in jeans and a stylish brown sports jacket. Casual but classy. Jackson reminded her they needed to look like Colin and Tessa Walker again when the Warners arrived. She'd stayed in her jeans and blue sweater but had tied her hair up, slipped on some heels, and put on some dangly silver earrings.

He pulled a buzzing cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open.

"Clayton's in place. He's just waiting for our signal," he said, slamming the phone shut. He checked his watch. 6:45pm.

"Remember, Lisa…We entertain them for a few minutes, serve some drinks, etcetera to put them at ease. Then as soon as I signal Clayton, I'll call you into the other room for a 'talk'. Once the Warners are taken out, he'll signal us and we'll exit out the fire escape."

Lisa nodded. He made it sound so simple, like a business transaction. In just a few minutes, there were going to be two dead people in the same room she was standing in. She shuddered.

Needing some comfort, she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. He could feel her shaking.

"You'll be fine, Lisa," he said, getting slightly impatient. "What are you so worried about? This isn't even that dangerous of a job…"

"It's not that," she said. "Even though I know these people need to die, I just can't…I mean, you do this all the time. I've never been involved in anyone's death before. I think I'm allowed to be a little nervous about it." Her pretty face wrinkled in irritation at his impatience with her. He touched her cheek.

"Okay…I'll cut you some slack. But when they get here, I need you to toughen up and do your job. Screwing up tonight isn't an option. If you act nervous or apprehensive, they'll sense it, and it will ruin everything," he said firmly.

She stared at him then nodded, trying to pull herself together.

"I understand," she said. He smiled and kissed her cheek.

She jumped when there was a loud knock at the door. Jackson's face twisted into a malicious grin.

"Ahh…the bastards are early."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N Hi everyone! I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter up (considering how quickly I usually update). I've had a lot going on lately and I simply haven't felt like writing. But the urge has finally struck me again! **

"Get the door, Lisa," Jackson commanded with a smirk. She stared at him with wide eyes and didn't move. He pushed her a bit in its direction. "Get the door," he repeated, an edge to his sultry voice.

She approached it carefully, her knees feeling like they would collapse beneath her. Just as she neared there was another impatient knock, causing her to jump. She sighed and glanced at Jackson. His eyebrows were raised expectantly, still achingly handsome even when he was being pushy. Lisa closed her eyes and turned the handle.

"Hi there," she greeted with a forced smile on her lips. "How nice to see you again." Warner grinned back, dressed in an ill-fitted tan jacket and shirt that looked like it was about to pop off a button any second.

"You too, young lady," he answered in a slightly creepy tone. "This is my wife, Irene."

A tall, gaunt spray-tanned woman approached, dressed in a low-cut red blouse and skin-tight skinny jeans. Her hair was bleach blonde and teased to the max. Her face was oddly tight for a woman her age. She looked liked someone had pulled her skin taut, like hide over a drum. Lisa guessed the woman had probably been pretty at some point in her life.

"Charmed," Irene muttered in a raspy voice, eyeing Lisa somewhat contemptuously. Obviously, this had been her husband's idea, not hers. Lisa shook her hand and gave her a bright-eyed smile. Just make them comfortable, Jackson had said. She wouldn't have to put up with this for long.

"Lovely to meet you, Irene," she cooed. "I'm Tessa. Please come in." She gestured gracefully into the beautiful living room area. They followed her inside and scanned the décor with envious eyes. It prompted Lisa to wonder if this was nicer than their room_._

"This is my husband Colin," Lisa continued, self-consciously gesturing to a smiling Jackson. Irene's eyes widened as he approached, obviously put off by his good looks. Lisa could hardly blame her.

Jackson shook both their hands, easily slipping into charming mode.

"It's great to finally meet you, Irene," he said in his smooth voice, provoking a dreamy stare from the older woman.

"The pleasure is all mine," she said softly. Jackson's brow furrowed slightly at the comment, then he turned to Warner, who didn't seem affected by his wife's remark.

"Nice to see you again, sir," Jackson said, elevating his voice a bit. "Why don't we have a seat in front of the fireplace?"

They filed toward the regal furniture and sat, Warner and Irene on the couch, and Lisa on the love seat. Jackson quickly headed over to the small bar in the corner.

"What can I get for you folks?" he asked, opening the cabinets and pulling out a few glasses. The Warners rattled off their drink orders, and Jackson quickly mixed them with the expertise of an experienced bartender. Was there anything he wasn't good at?

Lisa worked to make small talk with the doomed strangers.

"So how was Edinburgh today?" she said politely, giving Jackson a small glare as he handed her a Cosmopolitan. His eyes twinkled at her, enjoying his private joke.

"It was rather dull, actually," Irene said quickly, crossing her legs and drawing attention to her obscenely golden stiletto heels. "Tom dragged me out to all these boring historical sights. I swear, I didn't come on vacation for a history lesson," she whined, giving her husband a dirty look. He looked at her coolly.

"We had a great time, Tessa," Warner said quickly, taking his glass of scotch from Jackson. "Irene here just expects every city we visit to be like Vegas, or she refuses to have a good time." Irene gave him an uninhibited dirty look, snatching her gin and tonic.

"Well maybe if we actually went to Vegas every once in a while…" she twittered. The couple glared at each other.

Lisa stared uncomfortably at the floor, wishing it would all just be over. Jackson sat down next to her on the love seat and slipped a hand reassuringly into hers. She didn't know if he was being Jackson or Colin, but it made her feel better either way.

"So Tom tells us you two are involved in charity work?" Jackson said smoothly, unaffected by their squabble. He found himself enjoying looking back and forth between Lisa's unspoiled natural beauty and the other woman's phony manufactured look. He would never let Lisa ruin herself like that.

"Oh yes," Irene answered with an uncertain grin, glancing at her husband. "Been in it for years. Can't do enough for them. We just love those darlings…" she trailed off, hesitating. Warner looked at her, then took another swig of his scotch and set it down loudly on the coffee table. He paused then leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees.

"Actually, Colin…that's one reason why I wanted us to visit tonight. Might as well get right down to business…"

Lisa blinked at how quickly he was bringing this up. She glanced down at Jackson's pocket that contained the phone that would seal this morals-deprived couple's fate. She found herself willing him to hurry up and get it out already.

Jackson's eyebrows raised in mock expectation.

"Business?" he said.

"Yes," Warner continued with fervent concentration. "It has to do with our foundation. See, a lot of our girls don't have the necessary job skills to get real positions when they first get to the States, see…" Both he and Irene eyed them carefully as he spoke. "So we need to find them alternative work to keep them productive until we've had time to teach them some skills."

Jackson nodded understanding as he leaned back and put his arm around Lisa's shoulders. He could humor this clown for a few minutes. Why not make his last moments happy ones?

"I understand that. Times are tough. But doesn't your charity have outside funding?" he asked.

"Normally yes," Warner muttered. "But it's been hard in this economy to keep regular money coming in."

Lisa wondered how long Jackson would subject them both to this rubbish before he finally made the call. She worked to keep her expression neutral.

"Well normally I'd be more than happy to donate to your foundation, Tom," Jackson said, bringing his bourbon to his lips. "But you already understand my feelings on foreigners. I'm afraid Tessa and I would rather not support that type of thing."

Warner blinked at him.

"No, no…I'm not looking for a donation. But there might be something you would be interested in…" He pulled a few pictures from his pocket and placed them on the table. Featured were several smiling Asian women, dressed somewhat suggestively. Lisa felt bile in the back of her throat as she surveyed the pictures. Those poor girls…

Jackson perused the photos with feigned interest, feeling a little sick to his stomach himself.

"These girls make excellent housekeepers," Warner continued with a grin. "Until they're ready to head out in the real world, we let them earn some extra cash by doing home services." He handed them a price list.

Jackson nodded and glanced at Lisa.

"Well we were thinking about getting a few new housekeepers, weren't we, honey?" he said with a smile, and Lisa forced herself to nod. "Foreigners seem to be good at that type of thing. Excellent at manual labor. And these are pretty reasonable rates…"

Irene eyed them with inexplicable disapproval, straining a smile.

"It means so much to these girls when they get placed in new homes," she urged with mock sincerity. "And some of them are good for more than just housekeeping; they're _totally_ at your service." Her voice was heavy with insinuation. Jackson made eye contact with Tom and pretended to be intrigued by Irene's implication.

"So wait a minute," Lisa said abruptly, unable to just sit and listen to them give their disgusting sales pitch. "How long are the girls kept as 'housekeepers' before they're released to do something else?" She felt Jackson squeeze her shoulder, but at the moment she didn't care if she was pissing him off. He's the one who was dragging this out.

Warner quickly brought his hands up.

"No no no…you misunderstand, my dear," he said. "The girls aren't 'kept' at all. They come into this country under their own free will, and they're welcome to leave whenever they wish. We don't force them to do anything." Irene nodded sincerely to confirm his story, her eyes flashing at Lisa. Lisa stared back in quiet defiance. She wasn't intimidated by this low-life of a woman.

Jackson looked between the two women, amused by the brewing catfight. He glanced back down at the pictures.

"That really is a great idea, Tom," he said. "As long as I could be assured that the girls wouldn't steal from us, I don't see why we couldn't hire a few of them. Lord knows these rates are cheaper than what some American housekeeper would charge."

"Of course the girls wouldn't steal from you," Warner said with a wave of his hand. "We screen them carefully before they're sent out."

"I understand," Jackson said, abruptly standing and startling Lisa. The mobile phone was burning a hole in his pocket. "Can you two excuse us for a moment?" he asked with a smile. "I'd like to talk to Tessa about this privately before we commit to anything." He reached down for Lisa's hand and pulled her up.

"Of course," Warner nodded quickly. "Take all the time you need. Let me know if you have any more questions."

Jackson nodded with a smile and pulled Lisa into their bedroom, shutting the door and quietly locking it behind them. Lisa caught one last glimpse of the couple that was exchanging a hopeful glance as the door was shut. She felt her stomach drop and she walked shakily to the bed to sit down. She couldn't believe this was really happening.

Jackson instantly whipped the phone from his pocket. She watched him as he deftly entered a text message. His jaw was set and his eyes were impassive. She felt ill, and she oddly wanted to go to him for comfort, but knew he would have none to give. She felt herself begin to shake. Fighting tears, she quickly attempted to pull herself together. Jackson would probably be angry if she showed weakness at this point.

He snapped the phone shut. Lisa glanced up at him, observing his relaxed features. He was completely at ease with the fact that in a few seconds there would be a murder in the next room. She found herself in awe again that this was the man she had fallen for. That she'd made love to…

He gave her a malicious grin.

"How long?" she whispered, unable to take the tension. He was about to answer when they suddenly heard a window slide open in the next room. Lisa's eyes widened and she fought the urge to run to Jackson and cling to him. She pulled her knees to her chest, her eyes squeezing shut when she heard him chuckle.

"Who the hell—" Warner was quickly quieted by a silenced gunshot. There was a thud as he hit the floor.

Lisa heard Irene take a loud breath, preparing to scream, when another shot rang out. Another sickening thud.

And just like that, it was over.

Lisa clamped a hand over her mouth as tears quickly spilled down her cheeks. She glanced at Jackson and darted for the bathroom. Pulling up the toilet lid just in time, she vomited. Jackson approached the bathroom door slowly and watched as Lisa coughed and vomited again. Part of him wanted to console her, but right now they needed to focus on the task at hand.

"C'mon, Lisa – pull yourself together. We need to get out of here. _Now_," he ordered.

She wiped her mouth and scrambled to her feet. Wiping away tears, she went to him.

Suddenly here was a loud knock on the bedroom door. Lisa yelped, causing Jackson to roll his eyes at her.

"Relax. It's just Clayton," Jackson said irritably as he unlocked the door. A short man dressed totally in black, complete with gloves and a ski mask, poked his head in.

"I have their valuables, but I still need to clean the scene. The car's waiting in the alley. I'll be right behind you in a couple minutes," he rattled off in a heavy Scottish accent before disappearing back into the living area. Jackson grabbed Lisa and pulled her to him before following Clayton. He put his face right in hers and looked her directly in the eye.

"Close your eyes," he commanded hoarsely, knowing the sight of the bodies would probably make her hysterical. Lisa gave him a wide-eyed look then squeezed her eyes shut. He grasped her upper arms and practically carried her across the floor.

Lisa shuddered and stifled another urge to vomit as she stumbled toward the window. Her eyes flew open only when she felt a cool breeze brush her skin. Looking out, she realized how high they were and ran her eyes over the somewhat unstable-looking metal-grate fire escape. A series of ladders led to the dark alley below where another black BMW sat. She felt herself grow dizzy.

"Go, Lisa," Jackson commanded, irritated at the look of weakness on her face. He knew she was tougher than this. "Now."

She carefully stepped out the window onto the metal platform and was relieved that it didn't collapse beneath her. She stepped away a little to give Jackson room to follow. Stepping cautiously but as quickly as possible, she descended the metal ladder to the other platform. _Damn heels_. She didn't look up but knew Jackson was just above her. Relief trickled through her as the ground grew closer and closer with every step. Suddenly she felt a foot slip from its intended rung, and she gasped as she grabbed the ladder tightly.

"Careful, Leese," Jackson urged, genuine concern and irritation in his voice. "Move."

She continued down the steps, reaching another platform, and realized there were only two levels left until they reached the ground. Sighing with relief, she started down another ladder.

It all happened very quickly.

She abruptly felt everything collapse beneath her. The ladder had given way and broken from the platform. A small scream escaped her lips and she felt wind whoosh over her as she fell. She landed first on her feet, provoking a loud snapping sound. Then she fell onto her back, knocking the wind out of her. She stayed flat, gasping for breath and unable to move. She groaned at the pain in her right ankle. Darkness began to cloud her eyes…

"Lisa!" Jackson whispered as loudly as he dared, still attempting to conceal their presence in the alley. Panic overtook him as he watched her seemingly unconscious form. She couldn't be too hurt, right? She hadn't fallen that far. He descended the rest of the way quickly then leapt from the final platform.

He fell to her side and carefully brushed her cheek.

"Leese?"

Her eyes opened at the sound of his voice, much to his relief.

"Are you okay? What hurts?" he pleaded.

She seemed confused at first, then an expression of pain overtook her features.

"My ankle…" she gasped, the throbbing sting taking full effect. Jackson quickly moved down her body and inspected her legs. Her right ankle was already beginning to swell. He sighed and touched the skin of her foot gently.

"Dammit," he growled, angry at himself for not going down the ladder first. He quickly scanned the alley to make sure their presence hadn't been noticed. It still seemed all clear. "We need to get out of here," he said in a low voice, his mind moving quickly. He could probably move her into the car as long as she had no other injuries. "Does anything else hurt?"

She blinked at him then slowly began to move her other limbs.

"I don't think so," she answered, her cheeks wet with pained tears. His blue eyes considered her for a moment, then he abruptly rose and ran to the waiting BMW, opening the back seat. Returning to her side, he slid his arm behind her back.

"This will probably hurt," he said firmly, gently sliding his other arm beneath her knees. He felt her brace herself, then he slowly lifted her off the ground and held her against his chest. She hissed in pain but didn't fight him. Going to the car, he carefully slid her into the back seat. Lisa tried to help herself in as much as possible, but the throbbing in her ankle was rushing through her entire body and almost immobilized her. Finally she was completely inside and Jackson shut the door.

He practically threw himself into the driver's seat and Lisa closed her eyes as she felt the car lurch forward. From the plan she knew they didn't have too far to go. Jackson drove quickly through the streets but not fast enough to draw attention to them. He was quiet for several minutes as Lisa concentrated on her breathing in the backseat. He glanced at her flushed face in the rearview mirror and felt an alien sense of worry. He'd always thought of Lisa as tough, but maybe she was more delicate than he'd thought.

"You going to be alright?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. She connected eyes with him in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said softly, oddly touched by his concern. "But I'm pretty sure it's broken."

Jackson looked grimly back at the road. She would be much more of a burden with a broken ankle. He tried not to think about the implications with the company.

"It's over, right? They're dead," Lisa said softly as she stared out the window, memories of the nightmare that had just taken place coming through the fog of her own pain.

Jackson glanced at her again in the mirror, a smirk on his lips.

"Yes. Job successfully complete," he stated triumphantly. Lindberg would be pleased with him again. Hopefully this would help make up for his last assignment.

Lisa watched him thoughtfully. She still felt nauseated and shocked at having been involved in such a horrifying event, but oddly, she almost shared Jackson's sense of pride. But probably for completely different reasons. The Warners were gone. Hopefully that would cause their diabolical organization to collapse and the girls could go free. She sighed and leaned back against the dark leather seat. Glancing again out the window, she realized they'd left the city and were now somewhere out in the country.

"Almost there," Jackson said with a slight smile in his voice. Once they were within the walls of the company office, they would truly be safe.

He pulled up to a simple gloomy structure in the clearing of a small patch of forest. It was very dark around the building, and she was amazed at how easily he'd found it. Only a small patch of light streamed through one of the windows. Lisa noticed this building didn't have nearly the heavy security that the head office had. Apparently it wasn't necessary here.

Jackson parked the car behind the building and sighed for a moment in relief. He turned around in his seat and gave Lisa a charming half smile. Despite the circumstances, she found his good mood endearing. He got out of the car and went to open her door. As soon as her door was open, she worked to adjust herself to make it easier for him to lift her. He quickly crouched down to be at eye level with her and grasped her arms to stop her from moving.

"Relax," he said in a low voice. She crinkled her brow at him, irritated that he would prolong their getting into the safety of the building. Her ankle was almost unbearable.

"What the hell for?"

His half smile returned and she froze when he leaned in closer to her. Her heart stopped when he kissed her, suddenly forgetting the nightmarish evening and the pain in her ankle. His lips brushed gently over hers, as if her injury had made all of her delicate.

Jackson broke the kiss and leaned back slightly, keeping himself close to her. He felt a surge of affection for her, a combination of how well she'd done with the job and how brave she was being about her injury. His eyes searched her face and he brushed a few fingers down her cheek. Lisa blinked at him.

"Are you always this happy after a job?" she asked, incredulous at how gentle he was being with her. His transformation with her within the last few days seemed almost unreal. And his touch was making her dizzy.

Jackson pulled his hand away and regarded her for a moment. His face lost some of its softness and he cleared his throat, apparently trying to regain control.

"We need to get inside," he said firmly, reaching to pull her out of the car. Lisa yelped at the sudden pain that the movement caused. He lifted her more slowly, then finally held her again to his chest. He used his hip to shut the door.

Lisa breathed in his scent as he moved toward the building, reveling in being held by him despite the reason why. She felt blood pounding through the offended foot.

Suddenly he stopped mid-step.

"Lisa," he said, a thought coming to him. She looked up at him, almost unable to make out his features in the darkness. "Once we get inside… this has to stop," he said in a firm but pained voice.

She stared at him until understanding came to her. He meant that once they were with company employees again, their feelings for each other had to be a secret. She felt her heart sink a little at having to keep her distance from him again. She hoped they'd be able to pull it off – she'd always been a terrible actress.

"I know," she said softly as he began moving again toward the door. She despised that he was probably going to go back to being the cold, cruel Jackson that she'd originally met, even if it was just temporarily and for show.

She felt him place a kiss on the top of her head as they approached the door.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N So this is Take 2 on Chapter 16. If you're one of the few that got to read the original chapter before I took it down, I'm sorry for jerking you around like this. I gave it some thought and decided I wanted to take the story another way that I think will be much better. In case anyone has noticed, yes, I've "closed" Jackson's thoughts for this chapter and probably will for the next couple. Sometimes I think the story is better when we don't always know what he's thinking. Oh and by the way, I truly appreciate those of you that take time to let me know what you think. And feel free to PM me! I love chatting with you guys about this stuff.**

Lisa was surprised when the heavy metal door swung open as soon as they approached. Stacia, the woman from the breakfast café, poked her head out.

"Come in. Hurry," she ordered, holding the door open for Jackson to carry Lisa inside. "What the hell happened?" she asked, incredulous that he was carrying her.

"Fire escape collapsed," he muttered, setting Lisa down on the black leather couch in the corner of the room. She winced as she carefully lowered her right leg, quickly taking in her surroundings. There was an antiseptic smell in the air, laced with a touch of stale cigarette smoke. The small dimly lit room was furnished almost like a small apartment, but significantly less cozy. Leather furniture lined the walls, and a small kitchenette on the other side of the room boasted a wooden dinette set. Another door opposite the entry was simply labeled "office".

"Damn," Stacia huffed, bringing her long fingers to her forehead. "Clayton was supposed to double-check that fire escape. He'll have hell to pay for this…"

Jackson didn't refute her, silently fuming himself that Lisa had been injured because of Clayton's negligence. He crouched down beside her and examined her swollen ankle again. His brow furrowed in frustration, oddly perturbed at seeing her hurt.

Lisa watched him and noticed the distinct change in his manner toward her since entering the building. He touch was much less gentle and his looks toward her were cool and empty. She shivered at the memories that suddenly came flowing back.

"So the targets…?" Stacia prodded.

"Are taken care of," Jackson answered. "Clayton stayed behind to clean up the scene and he should be here shortly."

"Excellent," Stacia breathed with relief. She knelt down beside Lisa and joined him in examining her injury. "That's definitely broken," she said irritably, glancing up at Lisa with impatience in her eyes as if it were her fault. "You do realize what Lindberg will say…"

"I know what Lindberg will say," Jackson snapped, making brief eye contact with Lisa. She detected a hint of apprehension in his eyes, and she wasn't sure how to interpret it. Would she be punished for this?

"It's just as well," Stacia continued, seemingly preferring not to talk to Lisa directly. "She wasn't ready to be out in the field anyway."

Jackson didn't answer, pressing his lips into a tight line. Lisa could tell the comment had angered him, but she wasn't sure why. She knew she really hadn't been ready for this. He rose and stood with Stacia.

"We need to call McDonald," he said firmly. The older woman hesitated.

"Fine. But you two need to be out of here before 10pm so you don't miss your flight back to the States," she stated authoritatively. Jackson nodded and glanced at his watch.

"That doesn't give us much time," he growled, whipping out his cell phone and quickly dialing a number.

"Who's McDonald?" Lisa asked, speaking for the first time since they'd arrived. She was tired of being uninvolved in the conversation.

Stacia glanced at her, then ignored her question with a shake of her head and turned to the small kitchenette to pour herself a cup of coffee. With Stacia's back turned, Jackson gave Lisa a slightly softer look, but didn't answer her.

"Dr. McDonald," he said in his smooth voice when his call was answered. "Jackson Rippner. Listen, we need you down here immediately." There was a brief pause. "Broken ankle. Yes. As soon as possible." He paused again, then slammed the phone shut. "About ten minutes," he breathed, slight relief in his voice.

"Good," Stacia murmured, stirring sweetener into her coffee. "That man is always reliable."

Walking over Jackson sat down in a leather chair across from Lisa's couch. He glanced over at Stacia who was still turned toward the kitchen.

Lisa melted a little as he winked at her and wished he would come closer so she could lean against him. He looked like he was about to speak then hesitated, glancing again at Stacia.

"Dr. McDonald is the on-call physician for this office. He's paid handsomely to keep his mouth shut," Jackson explained. Lisa nodded and glanced at Stacia too, feeling self-conscious in her presence.

"Can I get some ice for my foot until he gets here?" she asked softly, staring at her throbbing ankle. Jackson blinked at her then rolled his eyes at his absent-mindedness. He immediately rose and went to the small kitchen to put together an icepack for her.

"By the way, here are your new identities," Stacia said, handing Jackson a large manila envelope. "The Warners shouldn't be discovered until late tomorrow morning when maid service arrives, so you should have plenty of time to get out of the country before the pandemonium begins. This is just a precaution."

Jackson nodded and walked over to Lisa with the icepack and the envelope, handing her both then sitting down across from her again. She carefully placed the towel-wrapped ice on her ankle, then ripped open the envelope. Another set of passports and driver's licenses fell into her lap.

"David and Christina Hudson," she read, staring at Jackson's passport picture that didn't seem quite as amusing this time.

"Be sure to turn in that jewelry when you get back to your office. That's on loan," Stacia suddenly snapped, and Lisa realized she was talking to her. The woman was eyeing her hand. "I see the ring…Where's the necklace?" she demanded. Lisa blinked at the woman, then opened her mouth to answer.

"In the suitcases we packed before we left," Jackson answered quickly. "If I understood correctly, Clayton was responsible for bringing the luggage."

Stacia nodded.

"Where is that man anyway?" she mumbled apprehensively, taking a large gulp of her coffee. As if on cue there was a loud knock at the door. Stacia ran to it and let the assassin inside. He was without his mask, and Lisa could now see he was a small bearded man with dark beady eyes. His face was flushed with the effort of carrying the two large suitcases. A pistol was tucked into the front of his pants. Lisa noticed Jackson eyeing him contemptuously, she presumed because the man had technically been responsible for her fall.

"I think I deserve a drink," Clayton announced as he let the bags fall loudly to the floor. He went to the kitchen table and lowered himself heavily into one of the chairs. Stacia smiled and pulled a beer from the fridge.

"How were things left?" she inquired of her subordinate, handing him the beverage. "Is everything clean?" Clayton nodded, obviously exhausted.

"Fingerprints have been wiped and I left the window to the fire escape open to indicate a robbery, as instructed. I have their items…" he pulled a plastic bag from his pocket filled with two wallets and some jewelry. Stacia took it and placed it in one of the kitchen drawers. "And there shouldn't be any trace left of either Miss Reisart or Mr. Rippner."

"Well done. But I need to talk to you," she ordered tersely. "Shall we go to my office?"

Clayton's brow furrowed at her tone, then he rose to follow her out to the opposite door. Stacia shut the door firmly behind them.

Lisa's eyes immediately shot at Jackson now that they were alone, unhidden longing in her face. His look was pained, as he was obviously pining to touch her as well.

"We can't risk anything, Leese," he whispered. "I have no way of knowing when they're going to open that door again."

Her eyes lowered and she nodded. This was going to get frustrating.

"I know," she said softly, fingering the diamond ring again. It was easier if she didn't look at him. His handsome features only intensified her desire to be close to him.

The next few minutes passed slowly as they waited for the doctor to arrive. Lisa felt her eyes begin to get heavy, weakened by the emotionally demanding day and the pain of her injury. She allowed herself to shut her eyes and leaned back against the leather couch.

Her eyes shot open a few minutes later when there was another loud knock at the door. Jackson went to it quickly and let in a tall older man with white hair and a white goatee. He was dressed in a dark jacket and slacks, carrying a brown leather handbag and crutches.

"Thanks for coming on such short notice," Jackson said politely, locking the door behind him. The man nodded with a smile.

"Ahh…this must be her," the doctor said in a pleasant Scottish brogue, laying his eyes on Lisa's crippled form. Setting down his bag and the crutches, he smiled at her and went to kneel down before her. Jackson followed close behind him and watched as he examined her leg.

"May I?" McDonald said, gesturing toward the ice pack. Lisa stared at him with wide eyes and nodded. Pulling the pack from her ankle, he quietly tisked at the sight of the bruised and swollen flesh. Lisa thought he seemed charming and pleasant. How could someone like that get mixed up with this company?

"Now how did you do this to yourself, young lady?" he asked with a friendly tone, gently touching various points on her skin. "Oh, right…I'm not supposed to ask about that sort of thing." Lisa couldn't help but smile at him.

"I fell," she said simply, flinching a little at the small touches.

"I see that," he said with a furrowed brow. "Well, I'd like to do an x-ray, but I obviously don't have the equipment for that."

"Is it broken?" Jackson asked, glancing at Lisa's face.

"Definitely," McDonald answered. "I just can't tell how badly." He reached for the leather bag and pulled out some materials. In a few minutes, he had a well-constructed split around her ankle. "Now you stay off this foot as much as possible," he ordered good-naturedly. "Use the crutches anytime you need to move around. And get this looked at by another physician as soon as you get wherever you're going, okay?" He rifled again through his bag and produced a bottle of pills. "Here are some painkillers. Dosage is on the label. These should make you feel better, love," he said, handing it to her. With that he rose, bag in hand.

"Thank you," Lisa said sincerely, giving him a soft smile.

"I'll make sure you're compensated," Jackson stated gratefully. The man gave another friendly nod and was out the door. Jackson bolted it behind him.

Lisa popped a couple of the pills. She decided to test her splinted foot on the floor, then winced at the pressure.

"Stop that," Jackson ordered, bringing her the crutches. "Here." He helped her to her feet and steadied her. Lisa felt her breath leave her at his proximity and began to lean into him. Grasping her shoulders, he pushed her away slightly, looking uncertain. He studied her lovely face, then glanced at the door Stacia had disappeared into. He hesitated, then ever so briefly he brushed his lips over hers. Lisa accepted the small kiss warmly.

"Let's get out of here," he whispered.

_

_

_

Their flight back was much like their flight over. British Airways, first class demi-cabin. Only this time they were David and Christina Hudson.

Jackson seemed decidedly more relaxed on the trip home, having successfully executed the assignment without any major issues. He looked over at Lisa who was thoughtfully staring out the small window at the clear night sky.

"How's it feel?" he asked. She glanced at him and smiled.

"Better," she answered softly.

The cabin was dark, and most of the other passengers were asleep. Lisa was surprised at how at ease she felt considering the circumstances. She had a broken ankle, had just helped facilitate someone's murder, and had fallen in love with a man she had no business caring for. It'd been an interesting week.

Jackson had kissed her several times since they'd left the prying eyes of Stacia and Clayton, but he reached over again and brought her face close to his. Per usual, the feeling of his lips on hers lit a fire inside her that couldn't be vanquished in such a public place. She kissed him hungrily back, happy that for now they didn't have to be secretive. When the need within her began to grow unbearable, she leaned her head back away from him.

"Cut it out," she breathed teasingly, letting out a sigh and brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "We're in public."

He smirked at her and leaned back into his own chair, shutting his eyes. Lisa watched him for a moment, then grew thoughtful.

"Jackson…" she began, slightly hesitant.

"Hmm?" he responded without opening his eyes.

"What is this like for you?" she asked. He opened his eyes and turned his body toward her. He looked so adorably sleepy.

"What do you mean?"

She reached over and lightly ran her fingers down his firm chest.

"This…" she answered, hoping he understood. His handsome brow crinkled at her.

"You touching me?"

"Sort of," she replied, searching for the right words. "I just get the impression that…caring about someone…isn't normal for you." She knew what she was trying to say, but she was immediately contrite at her words, afraid she'd angered him. He just gave her a light smirk.

"You think I'm incapable of love?" he asked, slightly bewildered.

"Of course not," she answered, blushing a little at his use of the word. "You just don't seem like the type to…give into it very often."

He sighed and brought a hand up to run his fingers through her somewhat tousled hair. His eyes grew contemplative.

"I admit this is a little new for me," he said softly. "In all honesty, I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. You have to admit this isn't very smart on either of our parts."

She bristled at his comment, the soft mood instantly ruined.

"Are you calling this a mistake?" she asked, her voice a little heated. His eyes lit with humor at her change of mood.

"Well what would you call it, Lisa?" he responded, laughing a little. "This is a less than ideal situation, and you know it. We both know it can't last." The humor left his eyes at his last comment, his fingers still caressing her hair.

Lisa stared at him as he spoke, willing herself to keep the emotions at bay. Jackson didn't respond to tears. Part of her knew he was probably right, but hearing him already resigning himself to this fate was extremely infuriating. At least she had been attempting to think of ways to make things work. Her lovely face twisted in anger and she jerked away from his touch.

"When did you become such a coward?" she demanded. He blinked at her, then his demeanor quickly changed to fury. But she wasn't finished. "The Jackson I know always goes after what he wants," she snapped. "You don't back down this easily…_ever_. The operations manager of an international assassination agency can't figure out a way to keep a woman? That's pretty damn sad." She knew she was pissing him off and actually braced herself for a blow. His face had gone livid and his eyes burned with blue flame, but he kept his clenched fists to himself.

"It's not that simple," he hissed through clenched teeth. "You know that. Why are you pretending like this is a conventional romance? For fuck's sake, what do you think I am? Some pussy with a 9-5 that you can domesticate and have the little white picket fence with? Well that's _not me, Leese_."

She jerked her head back toward the window, not wanting to hear another word. She fought the tears that welled in her eyes. What did she expect?

Not to be dismissed, Jackson quickly reached over to her chin and pulled her back to face him. His face had softened slightly.

"Look, Lisa," he said firmly, his eyes intent on hers. "It is what it is. I care about you, and I'm perfectly content with what we have now. I hope it lasts for a while. But when it ends…it ends. It has to sooner or later. You already know that."

She held his gaze for a moment longer, searching his eyes to see if he really meant was he was saying. She honestly couldn't tell. Pulling away from his hand, she turned back toward the window so she could let the tears flow freely down her cheeks without him seeing. She expected him to try to reach for her again, but he didn't, much to her relief. His touch would only make things worse at this point.

After several minutes of keeping her back to him she glanced over.

He'd fallen asleep.

Unable to convince herself otherwise, Lisa reached over and dared to run a few fingers down his cheek. He flinched in his sleep at her touch but didn't awaken. She sighed.

It felt like they were already apart.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N Beware of fluff. I love this chapter so much I don't care if everyone hates it. lol I hope it's as fun to read as it was to write.**

"Look at that woman's face," Lindberg laughed, reaching over his cherry wood desk to hand a picture to Jackson. "Clayton sent over his report when you two were traveling back, and he included pictures of the scene. The look on that woman's face is priceless."

Jackson chuckled at the picture.

"That's not half as ugly as the expression she had on her face when she was alive," he commented with a smile. He handed it back to his boss, not bothering to let Lisa see, which of course she was thankful for. She looked back and forth between the two men and felt herself gag a little. They were truly sick.

Her and Jackson's trip home had been rather quiet after their conversation on the plane. When Jackson had awakened as they were landing in the States, he'd attempted to reach for her, but she'd pulled out his grasp. This of course had caused a fight. He couldn't understand why she couldn't just accept that they should enjoy the time they did have together. She couldn't comprehend how he expected her to continue giving herself fully after he'd admitted he didn't expect things to last. They'd gotten a few bewildered stares as the argument continued as they walked through the concourse and the parking lot. Of course no conclusion had been reached.

But he'd kept his hands to himself the remainder of the trip.

Lindberg's face grew solemn again as he perused more of Clayton's report. Lisa took advantage of the opportunity to glance over at Jackson. He glanced over at her at the same time, then quickly looked away and cleared his throat. His grip tightened on his chair's arm rests.

"Well done, by the way. The both of you," Lindberg said with a nod. "Very clean work. I admit I was a little worried about sending you into the field so early, Miss Reisart, but I clearly underestimated you." He smiled at her, and Lisa smiled politely back.

"Thank you, sir," she said softly, then looked away.

"And of course you have redeemed yourself, sir," Lindberg said, gesturing to Jackson with a grin. "We're definitely happy to have you back and working again, Jackson. I'm glad we made the decision to keep you on here."

Jackson nodded wordlessly, but his expression was pleased. Lisa noticed Lindberg's use of Jackson's first name and for the first time noticed a bit of father/son camaraderie between the two men. She supposed that wasn't surprising considering their age difference and the fact that they'd worked together for so long.

Returning to the UA headquarters had invited a strange sense of homecoming for her. Although very few pleasant things had taken place here, seeing the building on the horizon as they drove gave her a sense of relief. Perhaps because the horrible thing they'd sent her to do was over.

"Now Clayton's report didn't include anything about _that_," Lindberg said, gesturing toward Lisa's splinted ankle. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Jackson had never given her any hint about how Lindberg would take her injury. "What's the story?"

"She fell from the fire escape when…" Jackson began. Lindberg quickly put up his hand.

"Miss Reisart can speak for herself," he interrupted, looking back at Lisa with raised eyebrows. She felt a tickle in her stomach, afraid he would be angry with her.

"After the targets had been taken out…" she began, feeling a bit awkward using UA vernacular. "…we were leaving the scene by the fire escape, as instructed. I was climbing down first, and the ladder broke away. I fell and landed on my right foot."

Lindberg nodded, not angry, much to her relief. Perhaps she wouldn't be punished.

"Have you had it treated yet?" he asked.

"Yes, a physician at the Scottish office put a splint on it for me," she answered.

"She still needs to have it looked at, sir. Dr. McDonald was only able to do enough to make her capable of travel," Jackson interjected with a sudden concern for her wellbeing. Lisa glanced over at him again, thankful that he would speak up for her. She then looked back at Lindberg. The older man had an odd expression on his face she couldn't interpret.

"Of course," he said. "We'll have Dr. Herman examine her today."

He made a quick phone call, summoning the man. Lisa assumed Dr. Herman was this office's on-call physician. He was probably paid handsomely to keep his mouth shut as well. She wondered how much cash the UA spent on hush money.

"I will expect a full report from you two about the Warner job," Lindberg continued once he'd hung up the phone. "And Rippner, I assume you'll be showing her the proper way to write a report?"

"Yes, sir," Jackson answered quickly. "We'll have it to you by the end of the day tomorrow."

"Excellent," his superior said with a smile, obviously in good spirits. He closed Clayton's report and placed it in a drawer. Suddenly his face grew thoughtful. "Miss Reisart, if you'll excuse us, I need to talk to Mr. Rippner privately. Dr. Herman should be meeting you down in the dormitory area in a few minutes." His eyebrows rose expectantly, and Lisa realized that was her cue to leave. She glanced at Jackson, curious as to what they would talk about in her absence. He avoided her gaze.

Rising from her seat, she grabbed her crutches and headed for the door, feeling a bit odd about being sent out alone. She began to head for the room her and Jackson shared.

_

_

_

Lisa laid on Jackson's bed reading a book she'd found in his bureau. He'd never struck her a reader, but she'd found a small stash of novels hidden away, like he meant to keep them a secret. She'd laughed at the discovery. Most men hid a porn collection, but Jackson hid a classic American fiction collection. She'd selected a William Faulkner novel before curling up on the bed with it.

It'd been a couple hours since she'd last left him in Lindberg's office. Dr. Herman had promptly met her and escorted her to a small medical office on the other side of the building. After a brief examination he'd put an air cast on her and Lisa learned she'd be better in 6-8 weeks. She'd sighed at the prognosis and wondered how she was going to explain a broken ankle when she finally returned home.

Home…

She allowed herself to cry a little as she let her full longing for home overtake her. She'd been Jackson's "prisoner" for about a week, although it seemed longer, and she began to grow heartsick for her family and her job. She missed them terribly, but also knew how deeply she now cared for Jackson. It deepened the heartache to know how nearly impossible it would be to have them both at the same time. Still, she wasn't willing to resign herself like Jackson already had. She'd technically promised him another week of her life, and that was plenty of time to figure something out.

Damn him. She wanted to believe he cared for her as much as she cared for him, but him giving up so easily made her wonder. How could he just dismiss her so quickly?

Sighing and wiping her tears away, she closed the novel. She was unsure what to do with so much free time, so she took the liberty of unpacking their suitcases that had been conveniently brought to the room. Finding the priceless diamond necklace in her bag, she fingered it carefully and placed it on the bureau. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever worn.

While unpacking Jackson's bag she couldn't help but breathe in the scent of a few of his shirts. His scent was absolutely intoxicating to her now, bringing back memories of their most intimate moments. Where the hell was he anyway? He never left her alone this long. She poked her head out the door into the hallway, but it was empty as usual. Part of her was afraid he had been reprimanded for something and was being punished, but she quickly dismissed the thought as ridiculous and went back to work.

Soon everything was put away and the room was clean and tidy. Surveying her work with satisfaction, she gathered some fresh clothing and headed for the bathroom. She knew a bath would be tricky with her cast on, but she was determined to figure it out. After a bath that took much longer than normal, she dressed carefully in jeans and a soft white wrap-around sweater. She blow-dried her hair and applied makeup. Even with the uncertainty between them, she still wanted to look beautiful for him.

Frustrated that he was still gone, she grabbed the novel again and forced herself to read.

_

_

_

An hour later Lisa expelled a sigh of relief when Jackson finally entered the room, practically slamming the door behind him. She put the book aside and watched as he wordlessly removed his jacket and hung it in the closet. She blinked when she saw how pale he was. His eyes were red and his expression was grim. Wanting to go to him, she started to climb off the bed and hobble toward him.

"What the hell are you doing?" he snapped, causing her to stop mid-step. Her eyes were wide.

"What?"

"You shouldn't be moving around without your crutches," he muttered, quickly scooping her up and carrying her back toward the bed. He plopped her down unceremoniously then looked broodingly around the room. She couldn't believe how pale he looked.

"Did you unpack all our stuff?" he suddenly demanded. He didn't sound pleased.

"Yes…" she answered carefully. "There wasn't much else to do." His brow lowered further.

"You shouldn't be doing that kind of thing in your condition. Do you want to make your ankle worse?" he growled.

"I'm not helpless, Jackson," she said exasperated, wondering at his mood. "Don't treat me like a child."

He continued to glare at her, then sighed and sat down beside her on the bed. Compassion overcame her at the defeated look in his eyes, and she reached out and touched his arm. He didn't pull away and seemed a bit calmed by the touch. After a few minutes of silence, she finally felt brave enough to ask.

"Where have you been?" she asked softly, carefully gauging his reaction to make sure she wasn't angering him.

"Walk," he said simply, avoiding her gaze.

"You were gone a long time…"

"It was a long walk," he said, allowing himself a glance at her lovely face. "You look beautiful," he muttered, more to himself than to her. She smiled softly at the compliment, a small tickle in her stomach. His look was pained.

"Jackson, what's…"

"Lindberg," he interrupted, clearing his throat a little. He hesitated before continuing, then turned his body towards her fully and grasped her upper arms. He pulled her face close to his, causing a chill to run through her. "Listen to me, Lisa. Lindberg received a message from Stacia before we got back this morning."

She listened with wide eyes, her pulse quickening at the possibilities.

"She saw me kissing you outside the Scottish office."

Lisa felt the color drain from her face. Her stomach dropped as Jackson eyes searched hers intently.

"How is that possible…" she asked, her breath having left her.

"Well I'm sure you noticed her opening the door before we even knocked last night. She was waiting for our arrival at the window. She saw everything," he answered, looking angry anew. "I'm a fucking idiot. I should've known better than to risk something like that. I wasn't thinking straight." He continued to curse himself.

"A kiss doesn't have to mean two people are in love, Jackson. You could've told Lindberg that Stacia was just jumping to conclusions…" she rambled, surprising herself that she was trying to figure out a way to fix this.

"Lindberg flat out asked me how I felt about you," he said grimly, running his hands up and down her arms a little.

"And what did you tell him?" she asked softly, forcing herself to hold his gaze. He had to know she would ask.

"I couldn't lie to him," he said simply. Lisa searched his eyes and realized he hadn't answered the question. She decided not to push it.

"So what does this mean…I mean…what happens now?" she asked, feeling panicked. Jackson's pale face couldn't be a good sign. He dropped his hands from her arms and rose from the bed, walking away from her to lean against the wall. He folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Lindberg's cutting me a break since I've been with the company for so long. He doesn't want to lose me over something this 'trivial'. So he's giving me a choice," he said, avoiding her gaze. Lisa could hardly stand the tightness in her chest as she waited for him to continue. "But he said you're gone no matter what," he said suddenly. "Because you're a distraction to me."

Lisa lay back against the pillow. They'd really let her go? Just like that? She felt the familiar nausea overtake her. This was what she wanted, right? She glanced over at Jackson who was now avoiding eye contact with her. His eyes had gone cool again, and she could tell he was trying to slip back into 'collected' mode to avoid letting her see what he was really feeling. As much as she knew she needed to get away from this corrupt organization and get back to her own life, her heart clenched painfully tight at the thought of leaving Jackson. Even though she knew her feelings for him were less than healthy. Even if their relationship could never be a normal one regardless. She'd taken comfort in the fact that they hadn't had to decide anything for at least another week, and now the decision was being forced upon them.

"So what choice did he give you?" she asked, staring at her lap. He hesitated.

"It's quite simple, actually…" he began. "It's you or my job."

"Oh," Lisa said softly.

"He was even generous enough to offer me a month off to get over you," he said with a humorless laugh. "So I can return to work with a clear head."

Lisa looked up and gave him a soft smile, her eyes moist.

"That was nice of him," she said sarcastically, wishing to lighten the mood a little. She looked back at her lap. "So how long is he giving you to decide?" she asked, part of her praying he hadn't already decided.

"Tomorrow," he answered quickly. She digested that for a moment.

"And how long until I'm supposed to leave?"

"Tomorrow," he said again. "I'm supposed to have you sign the confidentiality contract and escort you home in the morning."

Lisa nodded and worked to hold back her tears. So no matter what, she would be saying goodbye to him tomorrow. She tried to wrap her mind around that fact.

"I'd better start packing my stuff then…" she said, suddenly needing something to do. She rose from the bed and was sure to grab her crutches so she wouldn't anger him again. Jackson watched her hobble around for a few minutes, gathering her things and putting them back into her suitcase. He seemed uncertain.

While placing a sweatshirt into her bag, Lisa noticed the gorgeous diamond ring that still graced her left hand. It seemed like even more of a sham now. She quickly pulled it from her finger.

"Here," she said, holding it out to him. He stared at her for a moment, then took it and placed it on the bureau with the necklace. She went back to her packing.

"Stop," he commanded, suddenly stepping forward. He grabbed away a shirt she'd been holding and tossed it away. Pulling the crutches away from her and letting them fall to the floor, he pulled her into an embrace.

Lisa melted against him and held him tight. Part of her felt like she should stiff-arm him in an attempt to protect her heart, but another part of her wanted to savor him while she could. She knew there was no way he'd pick her over his job. She breathed him in and ran her fingers lightly down his back, trying to memorize the masculine scent she loved so much.

"Leese…" he said, pulling back so he could face her. "How do you feel about me?" His blue eyes searched her face. Lisa blinked at him, thrown off by the question. Her brow crinkled.

"You already know how I feel about you, Jackson…"

"No, I don't," he argued. "You've never actually told me." She hesitated and looked away, conflicted about how to respond.

"I already…I mean…"

"Do you love me?" he suddenly interjected, squeezing her upper arms tightly. Her mouth dropped at the bold question, and she fought the tears that threatened again.

"What does it matter now?" she responded, looking intently back at him and almost resenting the question. She wasn't just going to bare her soul to him for no good reason. His expression grew frustrated.

"It matters, Lisa," he urged. "I know how much I've put you through and I realize how crazy it is to expect you to care for me at all. Especially after I implied that I didn't expect us to last, but that was before this whole thing came up. Now I'm not so sure if I can let you go so easily." He paused and searched for the right words. "I've never been faced with a decision like this in my entire life, and I need to know." He cupped her face in his hands. "Now do you love me or not?"

Lisa looked back at the ridiculously beautiful eyes that pleaded with her to be honest. She could hear her heart pounding so loudly she was sure he could hear. Of course she loved him, but should she? She'd been so intent on finding a way for this to work between them. But now being responsible for him possibly losing his job was almost too much. It almost seemed like he was asking her to choose for him. As much as she hated what he did, she wanted him to decide to quit for himself, not for her. But when it came down to it, she couldn't lie to him about this, no matter what.

"Yes," she finally ground out, damning the consequences. "I do." She felt herself go weak as the words left her mouth.

Jackson's features visibly relaxed at her admission, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Good," he muttered with a small smirk, brushing her cheek with his thumb. The look of adoration in his eyes was overwhelming.

Lisa felt naked before him, having born her soul. She shuddered at the emotions that ran through her, and felt awkward when he didn't respond in kind. Was he just trying to get her to admit it to stroke his own ego?

After a few moments of silence she broke eye contact and stared at his chest.

"What is it?" he asked gently, having turned very soft toward her. He lifted her chin to look at him.

"How could you not know?" she asked with a crinkled brow. "I know you're new at this, but…"

"But what?"

"Do you love me?" she asked softly, almost not believing the words had come out of her mouth. Her heart sank a little when he hesitated.

"That's what I'm trying to determine," he answered, running a hand through her auburn hair. She stiffened against him and immediately pushed away.

"Determine? How could you not know? You either love me or you don't," she snapped. She felt the tears spill over her cheeks, unable to keep them at bay any longer. She shook with fury at being so emotionally vulnerable and not having it paid in kind.

Jackson looked back at her, his eyes heavy with conflict.

"Lisa, you know I have a big decision to make. Loving you will mean one thing, and not loving you will mean another. I couldn't possibly tell you I love you and then leave you for my job, now could I?" he reasoned. Lisa wiped furiously at her tears.

"Cut the crap, Jackson," she commanded. "I _know_ you love me. You're just afraid to tell me because of what it could mean. I told you I loved you knowing full well tomorrow might be the last time I ever see you. Know why? Because what happens tomorrow won't change how I feel about you."

Jackson blinked at her words and said nothing. She went back to him and put her hands on his shoulders.

"You started this, now finish it, dammit," she snapped. "Tell me."

Instead of being angry at her candor he smirked and put his arms around her waist.

"I just love it when you're fiery…" he said, leaning in to kiss her. Lisa quickly stopped him with a hand against his lips.

"Tell me," she urged, softer this time. No matter what tomorrow would bring, she needed to hear it.

He hesitated again but didn't drop his gaze.

"Do you love me?" she asked once more.

"Yes," he answered at last, as if finally resigning himself to it. Hearing him admit it sent waves of pleasure throughout her body. She let out a sigh and ran her eyes over his handsome face.

"Okay," she breathed. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

He gave her a small smile and leaned in to kiss her. This time she accepted him warmly and pulled him more tightly against her.

His kisses were gentle but not without a Jackson-like animalistic edge to them. He'd catch her bottom lip between his teeth often and brushed his tongue eagerly over hers. Lisa reveled in his taste as she felt his hands begin to explore body.

Wary of her injury, he carefully scooped her up in his arms and carried her across the room, laying her on the bed. Lisa felt chills run through her when she realized he meant to make love to her. She was a little conflicted about being so intimate with him again, but couldn't resist enjoying him one last time, if it was to be their last time. Although they'd admitted their true feelings for each other, Lisa hadn't forgotten about the huge question that had been left unanswered. But at the moment, she didn't care.

Jackson loved her. For now, that's all she needed.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N I'm sensing the end is near, everyone. This is a short chapter because I felt like what will happen next deserved its own chapter. Stay with me, guys. This is just a stepping stone.**

Lisa stared into the darkness listening to Jackson's even breathing. He held her tight against him even in his sleep, and she could feel his chest rise and fall against her back. Her heart absolutely ached with affection for him. She felt simultaneous ecstasy and despair, knowing that he loved her but also knowing they would soon be parted.

She sighed quietly to herself, her mind filled with too many tormented thoughts to sleep. It seemed odd to think she would be back in her own apartment tomorrow, back in the "real" world with her "real" life. The past several days had felt like an illusory nightmare, and then a dream. Nobody had experiences like this. Nobody was stolen from their apartment in the middle of the night by a crazed madman and whisked away to Europe, only to fall madly in love with him. She was certain she'd never be able to tell anyone about this. No one would believe her anyway. How could she possibly explain to people how she'd fallen in love with same man that had taken her hostage on the red eye flight? They'd think she was crazy.

Part of her wondered at how Jackson could sleep so soundly at a time like this. It wasn't even that late. Unable to sleep, she found herself obsessing over the decision to be made tomorrow. She couldn't stand the thought of the heartbreak she would have to endure when he inevitably rejected her to stay with the company.

She slowly began to realize she had a choice to make too. Even if Jackson did decide to leave his job for her, as much as she loved him, could they really maintain any sort of relationship? He was probably on wanted lists all over the world. He actually needed the protection the company gave him from government. Once that shield was lifted, he'd be vulnerable to arrest and probably worse for the "offenses" he'd committed over the past ten years. She quickly remembered that he was still being hunted for his crimes against Keefe. Could they really spend the rest of their lives together running from the law? She was starting to fully realize the sacrifice he'd be making if he chose to give up his place with this company to be with her. She couldn't stand the thought of being responsible for him ending up in prison or worse.

There was no way she could let him take that risk.

Her heart clenched in her chest when she realized what she had to do. She'd be removing the opportunity for him to reject her, and also saving him from putting himself in danger. As carefully as possible, she slowly began to pull herself from Jackson's grasp. After pulling gently on his arm that was wrapped securely around her waist, it finally gave way and she was able to inch away from him. She froze when she felt him shift, then relaxed when she saw he was still asleep. She slowly slid off the bed, trying to cause as little movement to the mattress as possible.

Heading for the dresser while stepping delicately onto her cast, she pulled out some clothing and dressed quickly. She slipped on her shoes and realized there was no way she could take all her things with her. Oh well. She could buy new clothes.

Grabbing her purse she glanced over at Jackson's sleeping form. He hadn't budged and was obviously out cold. A quick thought came to her and she went to his closet, pulling out a plain blue t-shirt. Bringing it to her face, she breathed it in and reveled in his scent. At least she wouldn't have to forget how wonderful he smelled. She quickly stuffed it into her purse.

Looking back at Jackson, tears filled her eyes when she realized this might be the last time she would ever see him. She wanted to hope he would come for her every once in a while, but realized the odds of him forgiving her for leaving him would be small. Her hope was that once he realized she was gone, he'd recognize this was for the best and they both could back to the lives they had before this had ever happened.

She knew she needed to get out of there as soon as possible, but she couldn't bring herself to actually leave. Approaching the bed she ran her eyes down his sleeping form as drops slipped quietly down her cheeks. He looked so relaxed, so achingly handsome. His sexy brown locks were an endearing mess, his strong arms wrapped around the pillow that had replaced her. It killed her that she couldn't touch him one last time, but she knew she couldn't risk waking him up. It would ruin everything.

She grabbed her crutches and stabilized herself on them. Taking once last lingering glance at the man that had inexplicably stolen her heart, she quietly left the room.

_

_

_

Lisa wiped the tears from her cheeks and approached Lindberg's office door, her heart thundering painfully. She knew there was no other way to get out of here than through him. She couldn't steal a car, and even if she could she still had no idea how to get back to the highway. No, this had to be done. Even though it was mildly late, she prayed he would still be in his office. She had no back-up plan if this didn't work.

She knocked firmly and held her breath.

"Come in," Lindberg's deep voice bellowed from within, much to her relief. Prepping herself with a deep breath, she pushed in the door.

"Miss Reisart," he said as soon as he saw her, rising from his desk chair. He didn't look at all surprised to see her.

She hesitated in his doorway, unsure how to proceed. He ran his eyes over her red eyes and disheveled hair.

"Please, sit down," he said, gesturing to the guest chairs and taking his own seat again. She made her way to the chair and lowered herself. He didn't seem nearly as intimidating as he had the first time she'd met him. He paused and spoke first. "I'm sure Rippner explained to you that we'll be sending you home tomorrow."

"Yes," she said softly.

"And you understand the reasons why?"

His face turned stern, and she found herself embarrassed that this man knew about her and Jackson's relationship. He undoubtedly despised her for causing him to risk giving up his best employee. He'd be pleased she was leaving. She nodded at his question, feeling some of the uncertainty leaving her. She needed to get this accomplished as soon as possible to ensure she'd be gone before Jackson woke up.

"That's actually why I wanted to see you."

"Of course we'll be providing you with some severance pay," he added, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms in front of his chest. Lisa blinked at his assumption that she was here about money. She'd forgotten that this had actually been an employment of some sort, and offhandedly wondered how much they were planning to give her. She didn't want their blood money.

"That's not that I wanted to talk to you about," she explained. His graying eyebrows rose as he waited for her to continue. "Jackson told me he'd be escorting me home tomorrow." Lindberg nodded. "Well, I was wondering if I could leave tonight. Like immediately."

The older man's brow crinkled at her.

"I suppose I don't see why not. Might as well get it done and over with. Has Jackson agreed to this?" he asked, leaning forward and resting his hands on the desk. Lisa shifted uncomfortably in the leather chair.

"No," she answered. "Considering the circumstances, I think it'd be best if someone else escorted me back to Miami."

Lindberg's eyes relaxed as he regarded her, finally understanding why she had come to him.

"Perhaps you're right," he conceded, a touch of satisfaction in his voice. He was undoubtedly pleased that Jackson wasn't going to be leaving. "That's a very mature decision, Miss Reisart. It's a shame we have to let you go over something this petty, but policy is policy." Lisa felt a small gag in the back of her throat. This was anything but petty to her. "I'll have Kratzer take you home."

Lisa's mouth dropped at the name.

"If you wouldn't mind, sir, perhaps someone else could…"

"Kratzer won't bother you, my dear. He's only dangerous while working," he said with a smirk. Ignoring her protest, he reached for his desk phone and dialed a four-digit extension.

Lisa sighed and realized there was no use arguing with him. As long as she was out the door and on her way home before Jackson realized she was gone, that was all she needed. She could put up with Kratzer for a few hours for Jackson's sake.

Lindberg slammed the phone down.

"Kratzer's on his way."

Lisa nodded, relieved she would be out of here soon. She pictured Jackson's sleeping form back in the bedroom and fought the tears that threatened to humiliate her in front of his boss. This was not the place to cry.

"Has Rippner had you sign the confidentiality contract yet?" he suddenly asked. Lisa stared at him, then realized he was referring to the document that basically gave them permission to kill her if she went to authorities. What a joy to sign that.

"No," she answered. She'd sign anything if it meant she could leave. He reached into a drawer of his desk and produced a single-page document.

"Feel free to read it if you'd like," he said, handing her a pen. She took it and quickly scribbled her name, disregarding any text above the signature line. She'd never do anything to risk Jackson going to prison anyway, so it was moot. "Thank you," he said, filing it away.

It was silent for a couple painful minutes while they waited for Kratzer to show up. She felt panicked, filled with urgency to leave.

Finally there was a subtle knock at the door. Lindberg bid him entrance, and Kratzer's hulking form entered the room. He glanced at Lisa with a grin on his face, surprised to see her, then looked over again at Lindberg and appeared to remember where he was. He stifled the smile.

"Yes, sir?" he asked in a croaky voice. It was pretty obvious Lindberg's call had interrupted his sleep.

"I need you to drive Miss Reisart home tonight," Lindberg commanded. Kratzer looked instantly pleased but his brow wrinkled in confusion.

"I thought she was Rippner's responsibility, sir," he mumbled, glancing at her and noticing the cast.

"Not any more," Lindberg answered. "Miss Reisart is no longer an employee, and she has asked if someone else could escort her back home to Miami tonight. Think you can handle that?"

"Absolutely," he said, looking pleased that Lisa had rejected Jackson on some level. There was a malicious twinkle in his eye that Lindberg either didn't notice or chose to ignore. Lisa shivered and wondered if this was a mistake. Regardless of anything else, she was safer with Jackson than any of these people.

"Good. Go," Lindberg said, dismissing them with a wave of his hand. "Your severance should appear in your bank account in a few days, Miss Reisart."

Lisa blinked at the pointless information, mumbling a thank you. She glanced up at Kratzer who was staring down at her with a grin, his dark eyes intimidating. Nausea instantly washed through her stomach. This was for Jackson's sake. She could handle this for Jackson. It would all be over soon.

Rising from the chair with her crutches, she followed Kratzer out the door.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Sorry to just keep building the tension, but that's what makes it fun, right? And the OCD side of me wants an even twenty chapters… lol**

"So what's the story?" Kratzer croaked, attempting conversation. "Why'd you get canned?" Lisa sighed and stared out the window as they drove along the highway. The last thing she wanted to do was bare her soul to this cretin. But she supposed if they were going to be in the car for a few hours, she'd have to speak eventually.

"There were…complications…during the last job," she answered softly, not turning her head. Kratzer grunted.

"'Complications', eh? What kind of complications?" he prodded, a slight smirk on his lips. "Did you botch things up? Is that how you broke your leg?"

"No," she replied, feeling defensive. "We completed everything just fine. My ankle was an accident." She didn't elaborate, but knew he wasn't done molesting her with his questions.

"Well that doesn't make much sense," he muttered, getting irritated that she was hiding something.

"Rippner wasn't pleased with how I did," she said quickly, trying to think of something to appease him. "He felt we completed the job in spite of my incompetence. He asked to be released from the responsibility of training me, so Lindberg decided to let me go."

Kratzer gave a scornful laugh.

"Honey, why are you lying to me?" he demanded with an angry smile, causing Lisa to turn to him with wide eyes. "Apparently Rippner never got around to teaching you how to tell when someone's jacking you around. I could spot that fib a mile away."

She turned back towards the window, her hands balled into small fists. She'd never been a good liar.

"I'll tell you what I _heard_…" Kratzer cooed, amused again. "The place was abuzz this morning after you two got back." She stiffened in her seat, wishing to ignore him.

"I don't care what you heard," she said as evenly as possible, trying to keep the emotion from her voice. He smiled to himself, knowing he'd struck a chord. She was no longer an employee, so there was really no reason for him to show any measure of respect for her. He was only doing this because his boss had made him. He paused for a moment, savoring her discomfort.

"I heard Rippner was fucking you," he whispered in a menacing voice, daring her to deny it. Lisa bristled and felt tears prick beneath her eyelids. It hurt to hear their relationship put in such carnal terms. She fought for control.

"Did you now?" she responded with a small laugh, trying to seem nonchalant. If she didn't admit anything, perhaps he would doubt the grapevine.

"Yep," Kratzer said triumphantly. "And that he got sick of you."

Lisa's fists squeezed tighter and her lips pressed into a thin line, fury coursing through her. She knew an angry outburst was what he was looking for, and she refused to give him the satisfaction. But he wasn't going to let up.

"You do realize you were just brought on as a fuck buddy for Rippner, right? He gets a new one every few weeks," he laughed. Flinching at his words, she couldn't keep herself from glancing at him. She knew he was lying to her, but the insinuation still hurt. She worked to relax.

"Asshole," she seethed quietly. It didn't nearly satisfy the desire to smack him across the face, but it helped a little. He just snorted another laugh and switched on the radio to an obnoxious rap station, sparing Lisa any further questions. She watched passing cars and focused on clearing her mind of Jackson's face.

_

_

_

Jackson awoke slowly, squeezing softness against him in the midst of his foggy coherence. He sighed contentedly, half awake, basking in the glow of his night with Lisa.

Coming out of the fog a little, he began to realize the softness pressed against him wasn't Lisa, but a pillow. He groggily looked around, expecting to see a closed bathroom door with a white light beaming from beneath. But the bathroom door was open, revealing empty darkness.

He shot up in bed and leaned over to flick on the lamp on the nightstand. The soft light glowed in the empty room.

"Lisa?"

A string of expletives escaped his lips when he realized she was gone. His first impulse was to shoot from the bed and look for her, but something stopped him. How many times was he going to chase her? Covering his face with his hands, conflicted emotions coursed through him. Lisa had left him. This just made his decision easier, right? This way he wouldn't have to deal with any messy break-up drama. He slid his hands up into his hair and squeezed his locks. He should be relieved she was gone.

As much as he'd grown to care for Lisa, he'd decided before that he was going to have to let her go. It had overjoyed him to hear that she loved him, but the logical side of him recognized that her feelings could be transient. He'd always need his job; the company was his stability and his purpose. With Lisa there was uncertainty and emotions that were new and unknown. Tomorrow…next week…next month, one of them would come to their senses and this would've ended anyway. And then where would he be?

Love is fleeting.

Laying back down he pressed a pillow over his face to shield himself from the pain of the empty room. The pillow smelled like Lisa. He threw it across the room. He'd never really cared about anyone before, and he had no idea in hell how to handle it. Most people were easy to dismiss; Lisa wasn't. An ache grew inside him that he could barely stand. He reminded himself it was temporary. It would go away eventually and things would go back to the way they were. That's what he wanted, right?

"_Why do you have to be so damned professional all the time, Jackson? Will you really sacrifice something you want this badly just for your job? Is that all you care about?"_

Lisa's words haunted him and caused another string of curses to fill the room. He hated her for making him question himself. He hated her for making him love her. And he hated her for leaving. What right did she have to make this decision for him?

He continued to argue with himself. Even if he had left his job for her, what kind of life could she expect from him? She deserved so much more than what he could give her, and she would eventually recognize that. She deserved the white picket fence with the respected well-bred businessman, and a normal, happy life.

His jaw suddenly clenched at the thought of her with someone else. Lisa was still _his_, dammit. Whether she recognized it or not.

"Fuck it," he growled, throwing the blankets off himself and going to the dresser. Pain and a passionate rage coursed through him. She had no right to end this without his permission. He was going to find her and make sure she understood that.

Zipping up his jeans and pulling a black long-sleeved t-shirt over his head, he grabbed his keys and headed down the hallway. He paused mid-step when it suddenly struck him that he didn't know how she would've gotten out. Somebody had to have helped her, but who? No one here would've helped her sneak out. Could she still just be wandering the building?

He quickly wandered some of the main hallways, looking for any sign of her, until he finally came across Lindberg's office. Oddly, the door was cracked open a bit. He went to it and didn't bother knocking.

"Sir?" he asked as he pushed the door in, trying to calm himself. He wondered if there was any way he could ask if Lindberg knew something about Lisa without revealing that she may have escaped.

Lindberg lifted up his head quickly, his eyes bloodshot. He'd obviously been dozing.

"Err…yes? Rippner. What the hell do you need at this hour?" he barked, wiping his eyes. Jackson approached the desk, searching for the right words, when he inadvertently noticed a confidentiality contract resting on surface. He blinked. Those were only signed upon an employee's dismissal. He saw Lisa's name written in graceful script at the bottom.

"What the fuck is that?" Jackson suddenly demanded, anger making him forget to be respectful. Lindberg sleepily looked down to see what he was talking about, then quickly grabbed the sheet and started putting it back in his top drawer.

"It's nothing," he said, slamming the drawer shut. "What can I do for you?"

Jackson regarded him. Lindberg knew him better than to think he would just leave it at that. Since when did he hide things from him?

"Where is she?" Jackson seethed in a low voice, understanding. Lindberg looked back at him calmly.

"She's gone," he said simply.

"Where is she?" Jackson prodded further, furious that Lindberg was being evasive.

"Well by this time she's probably on Interstate 95 headed south," he answered matter-of-factly, seemingly disinterested in the conversation. Jackson's jaw dropped.

"How could she...?"

"She asked if someone else could take her home, so I obliged. Did you break the poor lamb's heart?" Lindberg laughed mockingly. "I didn't expect this to work out so smoothly after our conversation this afternoon, but this is perfect."

Jackson ignored him and began to feel up his pockets to find his keys. He had to go after her. Understanding his intentions, Lindberg became serious and rose from his chair.

"Rippner, I've already given you a break once before. Forget her. Let it go. Or you're finished here," he added. Jackson ignored him and began to head down the hall towards the exit. Lindberg quickly followed.

"You're really doing this for a woman?" Lindberg yelled after him. "That bitch has made you weak, Rippner. What the hell's happened to you?"

Jackson stopped in his tracks and turned around to face his boss, his expression livid.

"How long has she been gone?" he demanded, wanting to know the full scenario. Maybe if she hadn't been gone that long he could catch up to her…

Lindberg's expression was growing irritable. Obviously he wasn't getting through to him.

"Let it go, Jackson," he pleaded, trying reason instead of insult. "You're better than this. I've never seen a woman mean anything to you in the ten years that I've known you. What the hell is so special about this one? You belong here with this company. I'm not going to lose my best employee to some wanton tramp that can't keep her legs closed…"

Jackson let rage overtake him. No one talked about Lisa that way. Before rational thought could prevent it, he grabbed his superior's jacket and backed him against the wall. Lindberg's eyes widened at his brazenness when Jackson got right in his face.

"How long ago did she leave?" he shouted. Lindberg's face relaxed and he looked back at him calmly. Jackson didn't scare him.

"I think you know better than this," Lindberg said with a hint of menace in his dark eyes. Jackson's expression faltered and he released the older man's collar and stepped away a little. His chest heaved with heavy breaths. Even though Lindberg was essentially a father figure to him, he knew the man wouldn't hesitate to punish him thoroughly for insubordination. He'd seen it happen many times. Taking a deep breath, he ran a hand through his hair and attempted to calm himself.

"I'm not going to help you ruin yourself," Lindberg continued, straightening his jacket. "If you're going to run after that little tramp tonight and throw everything away, be my guest. But you're on your own." He headed back to his office, glancing back again at Jackson's frustrated form. "Let me know when you come to your senses," he added, slamming the door behind him.

Jackson quickly turned on his heel and headed again for the exit, his mind racing. What the hell was he doing? What happened to his rationale…his logic? This was asinine. He'd just disrespected a man that could tear him apart…for _Lisa_?

The biting night air hit his skin as he headed out into the parking lot, searching for his BMW. Where did he park? He couldn't think straight. Another feeling of panic clenched his stomach when he realized he didn't know who Lindberg had sent Lisa with. She wasn't safe with any of the other bastards that worked here, especially now that she technically wasn't under company protection.

_Dammit, Lisa_…

Why did she have to put herself in danger like this?

Finally finding his car, he threw himself into the driver's seat, the tires squealing as he headed out of the parking lot.

_

_

_

Lisa sighed and shifted again in the bucket seat as Kratzer rambled. She'd been in the car with him for over an hour now, and she wasn't sure if she could stand much more. Constant inappropriate questions, bragging about himself, shameless innuendoes…

"So then I was like, 'See you in hell, shithead.' And then I blew the bastard away," Kratzer laughed in his deep voice, finally bringing the story of his last assassination to a close. Lisa didn't respond, sickened by the tale and his attempt to impress her with it. This man was sadistic. Jackson may be involved in the same line of work, but at least he was somewhat tasteful about it. Kratzer would probably write an autobiography detailing his murderous exploits of which he was clearly proud.

Lisa glanced at him and realized by the way he was looking at her that he was awaiting a response.

"Okay," she finally ground out. He sighed irritably, his large hands gripping the steering wheel.

"You know, you're shitty company," he growled, shifting in his seat. She ignored him and stared out the window. After a few minutes of tense silence, an eerie smile crossed his lips as another inappropriate thought came to him.

"You know, I've been thinking," he began, glancing over at her. "That I'm doing you a favor here."

She didn't respond, so he continued.

"And it's polite to return favors," he reasoned, taking his time. "So the way I see it, you owe me."

Lisa tensed in her seat and felt a trickle of fear in her stomach.

"Is that so?" she asked, not taking her eyes from the window, trying to maintain her disinterested air. But she was failing miserably. She couldn't believe she'd let herself be put at this reprobate's mercy.

"Oh yes," Kratzer answered, his voice full of insinuation. "But we can discuss that when we get back to your place."

Panic instantly tightened her features. He wouldn't…would he? Of course he would. Her mind moved quickly. She had to get out of this car. This bastard now knew where she lived. Could she open the door and roll out? No. The car was going too fast. Jackson had showed her a few self-defense moves. But what defense did she have against a trained assassin? How could she get help? She supposed she could scream when they finally got out of the car. But that would only piss Kratzer off…

Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked furiously to keep them from spilling over her cheeks. She should never have left Jackson. She'd rather take heartbreaking rejection than fight off this hulk of a man.

This was a mistake.

_

_

_

Jackson sped furiously down the highway, his thoughts in a frenzy. He flinched every time he saw another BMW, knowing that most other employees drove them as well. He kept an eye out for police cars. The last thing he needed was a cop on his tale.

He tried to ignore the ache within him at the thought of not getting to her in time. Maybe Lindberg had sent her with someone who had some sense about themselves and would leave her alone. But Lisa was too beautiful and intriguing for any man to ignore, especially the employees he knew would find her an interesting challenge. Her fiery spirit had gotten her in trouble before. But she knew better than to piss any one of them off, right? He hoped his softening toward her hadn't made her forget how dangerous they could be. Who the hell had Lindberg sent her with?

He knew she wasn't completely helpless, but even Lisa had her limits. He stepped on the gas a little harder, forcing himself to focus on driving. He had to get to her before he could protect her.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N I know, I'm a TERRIBLE person for making you all wait so long for this chapter. But pseudo-good news, this is not the end! I realized that I need to add more to the story to wrap things up properly, so there will be probably one more chapter. Warning for intense situations in this chapter. Hopefully you'll find it worth the wait.**

Lisa shuddered as Kratzer finally pulled the BMW into her apartment complex. She wondered what he'd meant by her owing him a favor, although she knew she was just denying the obvious truth. There's no way she could survive that…not again…

Her mind was moving a mile a minute, but she knew her options were limited. Any escape attempt would be doomed to fail due to her broken ankle, and she didn't want to think about what he would do to her once he caught her. Kratzer was six feet of muscled homicidal aggression, and she was no match for him physically. Should she just endure it and deal with the aftermath after he'd gotten what he wanted? Perhaps that was the easiest way. Maybe if she went along with it he'd be appeased and more likely to just leave afterward.

No. She'd rather die than just resign herself to this. Was there any way she could outsmart him? Surely she was sharper than this buffoon. There had to be a way. She brought a hand to her forehead and wondered what Jackson would do. He would know how to handle this. He could handle anything…

"Not bad," Kratzer mumbled with a slight smile, maneuvering the car slowly through the modern apartments. "But pretty shitty compared to where you could have lived if Lindberg hadn't fired your ass," he added with a laugh.

Lisa glared out the window and realized that what she'd been dreading for the last couple hours was imminent. She hated this bastard for being in such good spirits when he was about to ruin her life again. Her mouth had gone completely dry and she felt the knot in her stomach pull tighter.

Kratzer parked the car in front of her building and turned to face her.

"Well, I got you here," he announced. "Shall we go in?"

Lisa seethed in her seat, her small hands tightening into fists. Kratzer noticed.

"A little tense, are we?"

She turned her head and shot daggers at his still-amused face.

"I don't need you to go in with me," she stated, raising her chin a little. He gave her another smirk, enjoying her anger. Apparently he liked it when they fought back.

"Now, now…that wasn't part of deal," he tisked, opening his door. "You're too cute to look so pissed. It isn't becoming." He shut the door and walked slowly to the front of the vehicle. Lisa remained in her seat, unmoving. He was going to have to drag her into that apartment.

Part of her wondered if Jackson had decided to come after her. She couldn't dare to hope for something like that. Of course he didn't. Jackson didn't take rejection well. He would never forgive her for leaving him.

Her door suddenly swung open.

"Well?" Kratzer said impatiently, eager to get inside.

Lisa stared defiantly forward and didn't move. She cried out in pain as Kratzer's hand suddenly crushed her upper arm and jerked her out of the seat. The abrupt movement caused a sharp pain to run through her broken ankle. She gritted her teeth and sucked in a breath.

"Be quiet. Always have to make things difficult, don't you?" he barked unsympathetically as he grabbed her purse, then pulled her toward the building. She limped pathetically beside him without her crutches, wincing with each step, and willed herself not to cry. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

The walk to her front door was brief, and her mind was too muddled with dread to come up with a plan of escape. She scanned the parking lot around her, begging for a glimpse of someone else walking in the darkness, but they were alone. Her stomach knotted painfully.

"Home, sweet home," he mumbled sarcastically as they approached her door.

Practically pinning her between himself and the door, he began to rifle through her purse, searching for her keys.

"What the hell is this?" he muttered to himself, pulling Jackson's blue t-shirt from the purse. Lisa's heart twisted a little at the sight of it, hating that it was in Kratzer's grimy hand. He unceremoniously tossed it into the grass, then quickly discovered her keys. Lisa's eyes followed the patch of blue longingly, aching to go after it and hold it to herself like a security blanket. Some sort of reminder that there had been happiness outside of this nightmare she was currently enduring. Something to help her get through this.

The pleasant smell of lavender – her favorite scent – brushed over her as Kratzer shoved her through the front door. A drop of normalcy in the midst of this hell. She paused and looked around the dark apartment as he bolted the door behind them. This was _her_ place. She knew everything about it. Surely that would give her some type of advantage against this cretin. Damn her broken ankle. If only she could run.

Kratzer tossed her purse into a corner.

"Nice place," he said as he flicked on the overhead light. "Lived here long?"

Lisa ignored him and hobbled toward the kitchen, not quite sure what she was going to do when she got there. Kratzer's brow furrowed angrily at the shunning and he quickly grabbed her arm tightly, pulling her back to him. So she wanted to play games. Fine with him.

"Where do you think you're going?" He looked down at her with a disturbing smirk, his dark eyes leering and strangely amused. Lisa tried to rip herself from his grasp, but his hand was like a metal vice.

She shot him an angry look.

"Let me go," she commanded, feeling terror weakening her legs. This was not happening.

He shook his head with a grin.

"There's still a little matter of you owing me a favor…"

"I don't owe you anything," she snapped, still trying to pull away from him. His nearness churned the disgust in her stomach. "Lindberg told you to take me home and you did. That's it."

He smiled and ran his eyes appreciatively over her features. This was exactly how he'd pictured it. Beautiful, petite Lisa acting coy and put off by his advances, but only to entice him further. Women threw themselves at him all the time, turned on by the whole assassin thing. Of course Lisa wanted him. How could she not? She just needed a little coaxing, and she would give herself to him.

Intrigued, he reached out with his free hand to touch her silky auburn hair. She immediately jerked her head away from his hand.

He balked at her infuriated features, but it didn't phase his resolve.

"You know, you're making this a lot harder than it needs to be," he grumbled, pulling her closer.

She turned her face away from him and squeezed her eyes shut. His disgusting breath filled her nostrils, adding to her nausea.

"What's your deal anyway?" he demanded, getting a little impatient at her obvious disgust. "You let Rippner fuck you, so you obviously have a thing for our type. How am I so different than him? Did you fuck Lindberg too?"

Lisa turned back to face him and stared defiantly into his eyes, her anger piqued.

"You are _nothing_ like Jackson," she spat, realizing she was revealing feelings for Jackson by saying it. She didn't care anymore. Let Kratzer discover that Jackson loved her. Even if Jackson wouldn't forgive her for leaving him, she had no doubt he would do unspeakable things to Kratzer if he discovered this.

Kratzer's eyes darkened.

"Is that so?" he growled, tightening his grip on her arm. Lisa winced as his fingers dug into her flesh. "Got a soft spot for Rippner, do you? Well, I'll show you that's a bunch of bullshit…" Taking a firm grip of her face, he quickly smashed his lips against hers, forcing her into a rough kiss. Lisa let out a muffled scream against his mouth, wriggling furiously to get away from him. Kratzer tangled his fingers into her hair and smashed her tightly against him.

Knowing it was dangerous but desperate to get away from him, Lisa firmly kneed him in the groin as hard as she could with her good leg. Kratzer let out a grunt of pain and threw her roughly to the floor, immediately pressing his hands to the offended area.

Lisa cried out as she hit the carpet, her ankle hurt greatly by the sudden movement. She hissed in pain and attempted to push herself to her feet, but quickly tumbled back to the floor. As Kratzer howled in pain, she slowly pushed herself to her hands and knees and began to crawl away from him toward the kitchen. A knife…she had to get a knife…

Suddenly her scalp screamed in pain as Kratzer ripped her to her feet by her hair.

"Not smart, honey," he hissed angrily into her ear, holding the hair tight. Her face contorted in agony but she willed herself not to scream. She felt herself being pulled in another direction by her hair, but was too blinded by pain and fear to realize where he was leading her. She stumbled quickly behind him, trying to keep up. The less space between them the less pain in her scalp.

"Not smart…not smart…" Kratzer mumbled maniacally under his breath. Lisa's entire body was shaking with fear, dread welling in the pit of her stomach. She'd made things worse by fighting back. Had she driven him to kill her now, too? Maybe it was better this way. She wasn't sure she even wanted to live after this.

Kratzer threw her forcefully to the floor again by her hair, provoking another cry of pain. Lisa quickly looked around and realized he'd led them to her bedroom. _No_.

"This didn't have to be that bad. Hell, it could've even been _fun_," he fumed, crossing his arms over his chest and assuming a dominant stance over her. She held a hand to her stinging scalp and stared pitifully at the carpet, refusing to look at him. "It's too bad it has to be this way." He began moving toward her again, and Lisa shrank back against the wall, unable to keep the tears from welling in her eyes.

_I'm sorry, Jackson…_

"Let's get this over with," Kratzer barked, now treating her like a child needing to be punished. He crouched in front of her with an unsympathetic gaze. "Now take your top off or I'll do it for you."

She stared defiantly back at him through her tears and crossed her arms protectively over her chest, finding new strength in her thoughts of Jackson.

"No, you bastard," she snapped, searching for any words that might prevent this from happening. "Don't touch me. Jackson wouldn't like it."

Kratzer blinked at her.

"Oh he wouldn't, would he?" he sneered, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly.

"No," she responded firmly, working to regain control of her emotions. "He wouldn't. I guarantee he would kill you."

Kratzer's laugh was hearty, but Lisa could detect the slightest hint of hesitation in his eyes. So he was afraid of Jackson on some level. Good. He should be.

"And what makes you think Rippner gives a rat's ass what happens to you now? He got tired of you, remember?"

He was keeping his voice taunting, but she could tell he was trying to determine if there was any legitimacy to her words. Maybe she could convince him that the aftermath wouldn't be worth whatever sick pleasure he'd derive from forcing himself on her.

She tightened her arms across her chest and gave him a sardonic look.

"Do you really want to find out the hard way?" she snapped.

Kratzer studied her for a moment, weighing his options. She could just be full of shit. Of course she would say anything to get him to stop. Even if what she said were true, there was no way Rippner could find out about this anyway. Right? Regardless, Rippner had dismissed her. He didn't give a fuck what happened to this little tramp.

The creepy smile returned.

"Nice try, honey…" he drawled, causing fresh pangs of fear to torture her stomach. "You almost had me there." It hadn't worked. He didn't believe her.

Moving toward her again, he grabbed her at the waist and pulled her roughly to him.

"No!" Lisa screamed, fighting and struggling against him, tears spilling down her cheeks. This was never supposed to happen to her again. She felt faint with terror and disgust when she felt Kratzer begin pulling at her shirt. His touch was beyond repulsive to her.

She should never have left Jackson.

"Relax, pretty. It'll all be over soon…" he cooed softly in her ear with rasping seduction, a distinct opposite to the angry string of expletives bursting from Lisa.

She felt defeated…empty… Seeing no alternative, she set her brain to autopilot, trying to somehow displace herself from this hell. Her body fought, but her mind was gone.

Suddenly she was back in Scotland with Jackson. His pleasant and masculine scent filled her senses. She was holding him against her and he was firmly reassuring her of her own strength.

_You're tough, Leese. Now act like it_, his voice reminded her.

She felt her shirt being ripped from her body.

_I'm trying_, she said to the smooth voice she'd grown to love. _I'm not tough enough_…

Her mind was a thick haze when slowly she realized something was different. She didn't feel Kratzer's massive hands on her anymore. Did she? Had she just blocked it out? Maybe her mind was stronger than she thought.

Opening her eyes slowly, she gradually realized that she didn't see him above her anymore. The horrible stench of his breath was gone. Where did he go? Why had he stopped?

She quickly looked down and realized she was still wearing her jeans and bra. A tiny ounce of relief washed through her and she quickly covered her breasts with her arms. Looking around, her eyes zeroed in on Jackson's livid features. His face was red with fury, his teeth bared. She blinked a couple times, not believing her eyes. He had Kratzer in a chokehold, and the larger man's face was turning a faint shade of purple.

Jackson was here? He'd come after her! The relief she suddenly felt at his presence was quickly replaced with fear for his safety as she watched him struggle with Kratzer's hulking form.

Kratzer's eyes were wide with surprise and anger at being attacked. Finally freeing himself from Jackson's hold, he roughly tore away from him and stopped near the door.

"What the hell, Rippner?! What are you doing here?" he shouted, clearly fearful of being caught in this act by his authority. His features still covered in uncontained rage, Jackson slowly pulled a switchblade from his pocket and flicked it open as if Kratzer hadn't spoken at all. Obviously, he wasn't interested in talking. Lisa looked on in terror as the two men regarded each other from across the small bedroom, each sizing up his opponent.

She knew Jackson could handle himself, but her heart pounded with fear for him. Kratzer looked like a monster compared to him. She couldn't just let him do this alone. He was not going to die because of her stupid decision to leave with Kratzer.

Wincing from the jarring of her ankle, she tried to push herself up.

"Stay back, Lisa," Jackson ordered, not taking his eyes from Kratzer. She ignored him and finally got herself to her feet, unable to keep the concern from her face.

Kratzer glanced back and forth between her and Jackson, slowly realizing the obvious connection between them.

"Listen, Rippner…" he started slowly, holding his hands up in a position of surrender. "I think there's been a misunderstanding here." He glanced down at the switchblade. Jackson expression didn't waver. "I didn't know it was like that between you two…"

"Stop talking," Jackson growled, angered further by Kratzer's pathetic response. "Pull your blade."

Kratzer blinked at him then slowly reached down and pulled his own switchblade from his pocket. Lisa stared at him. He'd had a knife the whole time? She was thankful he hadn't thought to use it on her.

"This really isn't necessary, Rippner," Kratzer continued as he flicked open his own blade, assuming a hesitant position of attack. Obviously Jackson meant this to the death. They were going to have a knife fight? In her bedroom?!

"Stop!" Lisa shouted. "Don't do this, Jackson. Just let it go!" As much as she would love to watch him destroy Kratzer, it wasn't worth risking Jackson's life.

Kratzer glanced at her briefly.

"All this over _her_?" he demanded with angry bewilderment, flicking his head in Lisa's direction. "This isn't worth it. You'd do this to a UA brother?" Jackson's eyes narrowed, barely containing his fury as he crouched into a lunging position. "This isn't fair, Rippner," Kratzer plead pathetically. "You know what Lindberg would do to me if I killed you."

"Enough!" Jackson shouted, his voice menacing. "Fight me or just stand there and be killed. It doesn't matter to me either way."

Kratzer stared at him, knife in hand, weighing his options. Lisa looked back and forth between the two men, holding her breath as she waited for one of them to pounce. She hated how helpless she felt.

Without warning, Kratzer suddenly turned on his heel and shot out the door. Another blink and Jackson was after him, and Lisa was quickly left alone in the bedroom.

It all happened very quickly. Before she could react, she heard Jackson growl in rage, a loud scuffling, then the repeated sound of blades slicing through the air. She gasped at the sickening thud that followed.

Her knees weakened and she sank to the floor, unable to come to terms with the fact that someone had just been killed in her apartment. It couldn't be Jackson…it couldn't be Jackson…

The silence that followed was deafening. Surely whoever had won would come back for her, wouldn't he? Jackson to claim her, or Kratzer to finish the job? She slowly pushed herself to her feet again. What if Jackson was hurt and needed her?

"Leese?"

Unspeakable relief swept through her as Jackson suddenly appeared in the doorway, his expression still intense. Before she could speak he had her swept up in his arms, squeezing her painfully tight. His scent filled her nostrils and she buried her face in his neck. It didn't matter that there was a dead man in the next room. Jackson was alive and that's all that mattered.

He pressed a firm kiss to her neck.

"Are you okay?" he pleaded, his chest heaving with heavy breaths. He pulled back and silenced her with a kiss before she could answer. She clung to him and kissed him fiercely back until he pulled his face away. "What did he do to you?"

She stared back at his concerned expression with wet eyes and worked to keep the repulsive memories at bay.

"Not much. You came just in time," she said, pulling him into another hug. He held her for a moment, letting her relax against him. He gently stroked her hair, now wet and matted with her tears. "You came after me…"

"Why did you leave?" he suddenly demanded, grasping her shoulders and to push her back a little. His eyes quickly clouded with hurt. She blinked at the question, now unable to remember what her original reasoning had been. It had all made sense to her before. What had she been thinking?

"I…I don't know…" she muttered, trying to think clearly. "I felt like I had to. I thought it'd be better for both of us if I left."

He studied her with a tense expression, then slowly relaxed and pulled her into another tight hug.

"You didn't even stay long enough for us to talk about it," he growled into her hair. "Isn't that what…_couples_…do?" He spoke the word like it repulsed him. "_Talk_ about things?"

She laughed softly against him, a little surprised at his use of the word. He thought of them as a couple? His tentative grasp on legitimate adult relationships amused her.

"We're hardly your average 'couple', Jackson," she said softly, running her fingers up and down his back. "We can talk about it later." Right now all she wanted to do was savor him. The original issues that had driven her away were still there, and there was still little chance this could have a happy ending. But it felt wonderful to know how much he cared about her. "I'm glad you came after me."

He suddenly tensed in her arms.

"I need to take care of Kratzer."

She pulled him tighter, not wanting to lose the moment.

"He's…dead?" she asked tentatively against his shoulder. She couldn't believe he had killed for her – and a UA employee at that. He probably saved her life. There was no way he could go back to the company now.

Would they come after him?

"Yeah he's definitely dead," Jackson said grimly, pushing her away again. "I need to dispose of the body."

Lisa looked down and realized there were streaks of blood on her bare waist where his hands had been.

"Oh!" she cried, stepping away in shock when she noticed how bloody his hands were. She instantly felt nauseous. "Are you bleeding?!"

Jackson studied himself.

"No…that's not mine," he corrected, wiping his hands on his shirt. He studied Lisa's shocked expression.

"Lisa, you need to go to your dad's tonight."

"What? Why?"

"Because…" he said, wiping the blood smears from her waist with his fingers. "I need to clean up here. And you need to go somewhere to calm down."

"I want to stay with you," Lisa argued, afraid to let him out of her sight again.

"No," he said firmly. "This is something I have to do alone." He leaned in and gave her a small kiss. "Clean up and get dressed, wait a couple minutes for me to leave with the body, then head to your dad's." She felt keys being pressed into her palm. "My car's out front. I need to get rid of Kratzer's car anyway."

Fresh tears stung her eyes.

"When will I see you again?"

He gave her a half-smile and kissed her again.

"Soon. Don't worry about it. I'll come for you when everything's been handled."

She regarded him and realized that arguing with him now would get her nowhere. All the unanswered questions infuriated her, but there was no way to handle them now. First priority was getting rid of Kratzer. The rest could be dealt with later.

He smiled softly at her bewildered expression and began to step away, but she quickly grabbed hold of him again and pulled him back against her.

"You know I love you," she said emphatically, terrified that this might be the last time she'd ever see him. What if something went wrong? She expected another smile, but he just looked softly back at her and ran a finger down her cheek. He pressed his lips to her forehead.

"You worry too much, Leese," he said against her skin, then dropped his hand from her face and headed for the door.

Her heart clenched tightly as she watched him wink at her then shut the door firmly behind him.

**A/N Again, this is not the end. Expect an epilogue/chapter 21 soon.**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N I'm positively heartbroken that this story is over. This was my first fanfic, and it was SO fun to write. I want to thank everybody that's stuck with me throughout this whole thing, especially through the shaky first few chapters. Your feedback makes me so happy, and many of your suggestions have been very helpful. **

**To answer a question I've been asked, yes, I will probably write again. And it'll probably be in the Red Eye forum. Because let's be honest, it's the hottest one out there. xD **

**So here it is, the final chapter. I would love to know what you all think! I appreciate any kind of feedback. It will make my future stories even better!**

Jackson steadily watched Joel Reisart's house from the shelter of a silver Volvo C70 parked on the street. It was a sunny afternoon. Amongst the expensive vehicles parked around the high-end neighborhood, the car blended right in, unnoticed.

He regretted having to get rid of Kratzer's black BMW M6, but he knew it had to be done. It would be too conspicuous to any UA employees he might encounter, and he wouldn't put it past his company to install its vehicles with tracking devices. He didn't know where Lisa was keeping his car, but he'd need to get rid of that as well.

Disposing of the body had been fairly simple, and every trace of Ralph Kratzer had been destroyed. Kratzer'd had it coming for a long time, and putting those grimy hands on _his_ Lisa was beyond abhorrent. Jackson considered it an honor to sink his blade repeatedly into that son of a bitch's chest. Luckily the bastard had died on an area rug in Lisa's living room that was easily replaced. Just to be sure, he scoured the apartment and removed all fingerprints, anything to erase evidence of Kratzer's presence. A quick walk around her apartment complex and a casual visit to its main office assured him that the events of that night had gone unnoticed by neighbors. They did not have to worry about the police getting involved, at least not for now. Kratzer's disappearance would go unnoticed by anyone but the UA at this point. And Jackson would deal with the UA when the time came.

He was beginning to fully realize the consequences of the decisions he'd made in the last several days. It was bizarre to think about just weeks ago, before he'd been assigned to retrieve Lisa, how different things had been. As they'd been for the last ten years. Lindberg had him working almost non-stop. He'd traveled constantly, cleaned up the aftermath of completed jobs, and handled the disciplining of out-of-line employees. Observation…intelligence…target persuasion. His interaction with Lisa had taught him not to underestimate his targets, and he'd adjusted accordingly. Things had gone back to normal.

Until Lisa had come back into his life again.

Now he was forever done with the UA, those resources cut off. He'd disrespected his superior, an absolutely unforgivable offense, and murdered a fellow employee. It wasn't extremely uncommon for UA employees to turn on one another, but actually killing one of them was unforgivable. It was considered wasteful, and likened to turning on one's own "family", so to speak. Kratzer had never been anything more to him than another thickheaded flunky assassin, but this offense coupled with disrespecting Lindberg meant he could never go back. They might even hunt him.

He always knew that love could ruin a man; he'd seen it happen before. Never allowing himself to ever truly care for a woman, or nearly anyone for that matter, made it difficult to recognize or label his feelings for Lisa when they began to emerge. He chalked it up as slight obsession, or simply lust coupled with the thrill of the job, that made it difficult to keep his hands off of her. She was, after all, an extremely desirable woman. Attractive women had affected him before, but this was explicitly different. He'd hope that making love to her would take the edge off his desire, but it'd only stoked it hotter. He wanted her. Her body, her fiery spirit, her inner strength…_everything_. She was _his_ now. He'd killed for her, for fuck's sake. He'd given up everything for her.

God, he loved her…

But it did trouble him not knowing why she'd left him that night. Though she'd been overjoyed to see him and claimed she loved him, there was no denying that she'd still left. Without explanation. What surprised him the most was how he'd gone after her anyway, desperate to protect her, even after she'd seemingly rejected him. Making a sacrifice like that for _anybody_ was out of character for him. Why would he stand up to Lindberg for a woman that had rejected him? Though he'd originally told her he loved her in a fit of romantic emotion, it was only after he'd made that sacrifice that he realized that he truly did. And it unsettled him greatly. What did this mean for him now? For _them_?

He felt a familiar wash of anger at the thought that Lisa may have left because she'd changed her mind about him. Though he recognized the absurdity of their situation. How could she possibly love with someone like him anyway? She was pure, compassionate…_normal_. He knew what he was, and he knew it was unnatural for a woman like Lisa to fall in love with him. Perhaps she'd realized it too.

_Well it's too late_, he'd thought angrily to himself. Because of her, he was now without work. Without purpose. She was his purpose now. They were inextricably linked, whether one of them chose to deny it or not. They were connected – always. She _was_ his, and if she'd changed her mind about that, he would simply steal her away and convince her otherwise. She _owes_ him after all he's done for her. Doesn't she?

Jackson shook his head at himself in the car, trying to shake the agonizing thoughts. He would know soon. He would demand answers from her.

It'd been four days since he'd left Lisa, wide-eyed and smeared with Kratzer's blood, standing shirtless in her bedroom. He'd longed for her terribly, but couldn't rest until all loose ends had been tied and he could come to her less afraid for her safety. In addition to disposing of evidence, he'd collected a few weapons and gone to withdraw all of the funds he'd accumulated over the last ten years of working for the UA. He knew he had to get to it before they did. There was enough to last several comfortable lifetimes, enough to keep him hidden for the rest of his life if necessary. Would Lisa go with him?

He hadn't seen any sign of her or her father the entire hour he'd been observing the house. He knew simply entering could be disastrous, considering her father would surely recognize him and cause an uproar. He could easily take the old man, but recognized that killing him would be unacceptable to Lisa. For her sake, he'd have to be "nice". His jaw clenched at the thought. He'd hoped that scoping out the place before approaching would give him a better feel for the situation, but the only possible evidence of someone even being home was a white SUV parked out front. He was tired of waiting. He wanted to see Lisa.

Tucking a small pistol into his back at the belt, he exited the vehicle and walked carefully toward the house. His senses were piqued, sensitive to every sound and movement around him. The gun was only for his own protection from the old man; not to shoot him, but to cool him off in case he decided to try anything. His body felt braced for impact as he finally reached the front door. It seemed bizarre to knock on the door of the same house in which him and Lisa had nearly killed each other months ago. The corner of his mouth curled up as a twisted thought entered his mind. Sometime he would make her recreate the scene with him, only this time he would fuck her once he caught her. It had been incredibly hot. Until she'd shot him, of course…

His smile dropped when the large wooden door suddenly swung open. He froze when his eyes locked with Joel Reisart's, his senses very aware of the gun pressing against his back. The older man's eyes widened at the sight of him, mouth agape, and he took a step back. Jackson just stared defiantly back at him, unmoving, waiting for some kind of response. Bracing for attack.

After the initial shock began to fade, Joel's face quickly turned to recognition, then disbelief, then grim acceptance. And anger. He shook his head.

"You're here for Lisa," Joel croaked, crossing his arms over his chest. It was not a question, but a statement. Jackson studied him and gave one slow nod, his brow raised in slight surprise. He'd been expecting this?

The older man regarded him carefully then rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a slow sigh. He turned around and walked back into the house, leaving the door open to Jackson in a silent invitation to enter. The older man disappeared into the living room area and sank himself into a large recliner.

Jackson hesitated at the door.

"Are you coming in or not?" Joel hollered to the entryway. "Get in here. I want to talk to you."

Jackson bristled at the man's stern tone, but figured it was better than a physical attack, and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. He walked slowly to the living room, not yet ready to let his guard down.

"Have a seat," Joel muttered, gesturing to the leather couch facing his chair. Jackson studied the room, then lowered himself into the seat, wondering what the hell this man would have to talk to him about. What was he expecting? Any apology for trying to kill his daughter?

Joel hesitated for a moment.

"Lisa…" he began, watching for Jackson's reaction to his words. "…told me someone would be coming…eventually. A person that would undoubtedly infuriate me and make me want to get out my rifle and shoot them on sight. That I'd try to call the police."

Jackson leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"No matter how much I prodded her, she refused to tell me who it was. And she made me swear on my mother's grave that I wouldn't do any of those things. I was to be calm and simply alert her when that person arrived. That it was someone she cared about. And I'd know who she was talking about the moment I saw them."

Joel shook his head again in disbelief.

"I never in my wildest dreams thought it could be you. That girl has completely lost her mind."

It was silent for several moments.

"What else did she tell you?" Jackson asked, speaking for the first time since he'd arrived.

The older man's brow suddenly furrowed in frustration.

"That's pretty much it. That girl disappears for almost two weeks, sending me some vague email about a much-needed vacation. I never hear from her, and then she shows up on my doorstep at 4am in tears, her leg in a cast, looking like she hasn't slept in days. And she refuses to tell me why. All she'll say is that she'll explain it all eventually, that she loves me and just needs me to be patient with her right now."

Jackson was filled with sudden concern for her, afraid for how the last four days had affected her. She'd probably made herself sick wondering why he hadn't come for her yet. But it was smart of her to keep all of this from her father. This man wouldn't have been ready to hear it.

"All she's done since she got here is sleep and cry. She's absolutely exhausted all the time, but she refuses to let me take her to the doctor. She seems afraid to leave the house…"

The older man's voice broke slightly, his love and concern for his daughter overpowering the need to save face in front of Jackson. Obviously the last few days had been difficult for Joel as well.

Jackson studied him, uncomfortable with the display of emotion.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Joel suddenly spat, taking his frustration with the situation out on Jackson. "What have you got to do with this?"

Jackson's nostrils flared at the accusation, then he quickly calmed himself, understanding that this was essentially his fault. But he couldn't do anything to fix it until he could speak to Lisa.

"I think that should probably come from your daughter," Jackson answered firmly, trying to pacify the emotional man. "But I assure you that I'm not here to hurt her. I think you'll find that my arrival might even help remedy the situation."

Joel eyed him suspiciously, unable to believe it. He gave another exhausted sigh and rubbed his eyes.

"As senseless as it is, she did say she cares about you…"

"Where is she?" Jackson suddenly implored. He'd humored her father long enough, and now he was ready for the real reason he was here. To claim Lisa.

The older man hesitated.

"She'd actually left for the first time about two hours ago, saying she needed some fresh air…clear her head…"

Jackson grew impatient when he didn't continue.

"And?" he prodded.

"Glendale Park," Joel answered dejectedly, still not liking the situation in spite of all his daughter's reassurances.

Jackson instantly shot out of his seat and headed for the door, not bothering with pleasantry goodbyes.

"Wait!" he heard Joel holler after him. "Please bring her back!"

_

_

_

Lisa stretched out on the soft fleece blanket and closed her eyes, the sun's rays rejuvenating her. The ache in her limbs that had been a near-constant companion in the last couple weeks had finally faded, and her broken ankle had been soothingly numbed with aspirin. The last few days of sleep and tears had been therapeutic, and she finally felt rested. But there was still a severe ache in her heart.

She'd both intensely longed for and intensely dreaded Jackson's coming these last few days. She'd expected him to come long before this, and she'd started worrying for his safety. But Jackson was ridiculously self-sufficient. She chose to believe he was fine, and just busy tying up loose ends. She knew he would come eventually. But the wait was agonizing.

As much as she'd dwelt on their bizarre situation, she'd still reached no conclusion about it. Of course it was ridiculous to connect herself long-term with someone like Jackson. He was dangerous…short-tempered…a criminal. And she loved him so much it was almost painful. The minute he'd stepped into her life months ago her world had changed. For worse, or for better, who knew. But it would always been different. How could she possibly just go back to her old life now? To her job, to normalcy, to nights alone in her apartment with old Audrey Hepburn movies? Now it all seemed so unappealing, especially without Jackson in the picture, but what was the alternative? Running off to some obscure island with him in the Pacific, cut off from everything she knew, always running from the law?

All else aside, she simply knew she loved him and wanted to be with him. Walking away the first time had been tough enough; she wasn't sure if she had the strength to do it again. Especially since now she was the reason he'd killed another UA employee. Because of her, he could never go back. He'd _killed_ for her.

She curled onto her side on the blanket and stared at the small pond just a few dozen feet away. A few birds fluttered above her, the clouds moving lazily across the sky. It was so good to be out of the house. It had been difficult leaving her dad alone in the house knowing Jackson could appear at any moment, but she figured she couldn't stay cooped up there forever, just waiting. And he wouldn't hurt her dad. At least, she was pretty certain he wouldn't. Would he?

Maybe she should be heading back…

"Lisa."

She quickly turned to the source of the smooth, masculine voice that had spoken her name. He was standing just a few feet behind her, the sun shining in her eyes obscuring her view of him. But the outline of his form assured of who it was.

Her pretty mouth spread into a wide smile, the apprehension at his arrival quickly forgotten.

"Hi," she said softly as he crouched down to her level, becoming more clear to her view. He looked positively gorgeous to her, his heartbreakingly beautiful eyes bright with pleasure at finding her, his brown locks mussed, his full lips curved up into a half-smile.

"Hey," he answered, a slight chuckle in his voice at her casual greeting. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure."

She shifted on the blanket, making room for him. He laid himself down behind her, molding his form to hers. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her tightly against him, her back to his chest.

Feeling the worry of the last few days melting away, Lisa closed her eyes and relaxed against him. She felt whole again. Like part of her had been missing. She scolded herself for having such a melodramatically romantic thought, but it was true. She finally understood what people meant when they said that.

She could feel Jackson press his face to her hair and breathe her in. Tingles traveled down her spine at the contact.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked softly, staring out at the water.

"Your dad."

She immediately stiffened against him, causing him to chuckle and press a kiss to the back of her neck.

"Nothing happened," he assured her, running his fingers lightly down her hip. "He was obviously shocked to see me, but no weapons or fists got involved. After he'd decided that I wasn't going to kill you, he told me where you were."

Her body relaxed and she turned around to face him.

"How did things…turn out?" she asked carefully, not wanting to talk about that horrible night but also needing to know things had been taken care of.

"It's been handled," he said firmly, his eyes briefly flashing with anger at the memories. She studied his handsome features for a moment and realized that's all he was going to tell her. Deciding that was enough for now, she leaned in and kissed him softly.

"Thank you," she whispered, knowing that she owed him so much more than that for saving her life. For sacrificing so much for her. How could she possibly make up for all that?

Jackson seemed put off by the words.

"For what?" he grumbled. "Don't thank me for any of that. You know why I did it."

"Jackson, I'm just trying to…"

"Just stop," he ordered, raising his voice a little. Lisa studied him for a moment, then turned back toward the water, choosing to drop it.

It was quiet for a few moments as she waited for him to calm down.

"You know…" she began. "You're going to make a pretty terrible boyfriend unless you get that temper under control."

"_Boyfriend_?" he almost shouted, sitting up quickly. "Leese, I am _not_ your _boyfriend_."

She smiled at his reaction and sat up with him.

"I'm sorry," she laughed, observing his indignant features. "What would you rather I call you?"

He stared at her.

"_Jackson_," he answered emphatically. She gave him a charming smile.

"Okay," she answered, kissing his cheek. "Jackson."

She laid back down facing the water, and he soon lay back down behind, sliding an arm possessively around her waist.

"_Boyfriend_," he grumbled to himself.

Lisa smiled to herself, then felt the smile fade slowly when she remembered all that needed to be discussed. She wished she could just keep blocking it out, but it would eventually resurface, one way or another.

"What are you going to do?" she asked softly. She heard him sigh heavily.

"I haven't decided yet," he muttered. "I have enough money saved to take me anywhere in the world. It wouldn't be too difficult to get plugged in somewhere else."

She paused to digest his words.

"I assume you can never go back to your company."

"Right."

"Do you think they'll…come after you?"

Jackson sighed but didn't answer right away. He'd obviously been wondering about that himself.

"I honestly don't know. It's not unlikely. I would think that I have enough positive history with Lindberg that he'd cut me some kind of break, but with the way I left him that night, I probably destroyed all chance of that."

It was quiet while she waited for him to continue.

"Nobody liked Kratzer anyway," he added sarcastically.

"But you don't know anything for sure," she confirmed, greatly disappointed. She was hoping for more of a reassurance than this.

"No, I don't," he said, pressing another kiss to the side of her neck. "But I'm not going to take any chances for either of us. Regardless, I know how they operate. I'll handle it if anything does happen."

She nodded. She knew he could handle it, but it was still a troubling thought.

"Would they come after _me_?"

"I'd handle _anyone_ that came after you, Lisa," he spat fiercely, sending a chill down her spine at the menace in his voice. She had no doubt that he would. "But that probably won't happen. Not to sound condescending, but you're sort of a non-issue to them. I'm the one who 'betrayed' them."

Her relief was brief.

They both stared at the water, and Lisa felt her eyes begin to well with tears as she dwelled upon his words. How could this possibly have a happy ending? How could they possibly be together?

"Let's go somewhere," she suddenly commanded, pushing herself up. Jackson helped her to her feet.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know," she answered, stepping carefully toward the parking lot. "I just want to go somewhere with you." Jackson grimaced at the sight of her hobbling and quickly swept her up in his arms, carrying her.

"I can walk just fine, Jackson," Lisa protested.

"Right," he muttered sarcastically.

She was silent while he carried her toward the parking lot, and she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head while he walked. A tear spilled down her cheek.

"Why are you crying?" he asked as he placed her carefully on her feet, noticing her tears once they'd reached the Volvo. She didn't answer and just squeezed him around the waist. Jackson tentatively put his arms around her, bewildered. "What's the matter with you?"

She pulled back to look at him.

"You're leaving," she choked. His brow furrowed in pain and he looked away, not answering. "When?" she prodded.

"I don't know," he answered, wiping a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "The UA has undoubtedly noticed Kratzer's disappearance by now. And Miami is probably the first place they'd look for me, if they're coming."

Lisa blinked at him.

"Are you in danger _now_?"

"I'm fine, Lisa," he snapped, annoyed with any question of his capability. "But it probably wouldn't be smart to hang around long."

Lisa nodded slowly, her eyes lowering to his chest. Jackson hesitated, then braced himself to say what had been on his mind for four days. Sighing, he gently lifted her chin to look at him.

"Come with me," he pleaded softly, his blue eyes looking more vulnerable than she'd ever seen them. The look on his face and the impossibility of his request caused more tears to spill down her cheeks. How could she possibly deny him?

"Where are you going?" she asked, delaying her answer. Not missing her procrastination, he dropped his hand from her chin. She could see a flash of pain in his eyes, but he quickly stifled it.

"I was thinking about starting off somewhere in South America, to be honest. Brazil, perhaps. The UA has very few offices down there, and since I know Portuguese…"

"And it's warm down there," Lisa suggested, attempting to smile. Jackson nodded uncomfortably, unsure what to say.

Lisa stared at her feet, her heart torrential with emotion. She hadn't really said no. Was she actually considering this, or what she just delaying the inevitable?

"Lisa," Jackson said firmly, taking firm hold of her to make her look at him. "You love me."

"Yes," she gasped, emotion choking her.

"Then come with me," he tried again, letting the heartbreaking plea show again through his eyes. "It doesn't have to be forever. Think about it… Your hotel still thinks you're on sabbatical. And the only one who even knows about us is your father." He pressed a hand to the small of her back, pressing her urgently against him. "Stay with me for just a month, two months…however long you want. When and if you feel you need to come home, I'll bring you back. I promise."

She stared at him, trying to process his words. She hadn't considered just going with him short-term, but was that only prolonging the inevitable? Spending two more months with him would only intensify the bond they shared, making separation that much more painful.

"But if after two months…you decide to stay with me…" he continued slowly, but hesitated and didn't finish his sentence. "Lisa, I know how crazy this is. And there's no way I could ask you to give up your entire life to go on the run with me. This is my problem, not yours."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he quickly pressed his fingers to her lips to silence her.

"All I'm asking for is the next month or two. Think of it as a vacation, if you wish. I'm just…I'm just not ready to give you up yet. I can't stand the thought of going away right now without you with me."

She hated the hope that was beginning to swell within her. This felt like an easy way out, but it sounded so incredibly appealing. She knew Jackson was a man of his word, but could she really trust him to bring her back home if she wanted? She couldn't say yes to this unless she truly believed she wasn't locking herself into anything long-term. She couldn't deny that might come later, but neither of them was ready for that now.

Truthfully, it would be indescribably wonderful, being alone with Jackson in a foreign country, this time without the UA and assignments and murder and Stacia. They could simply be together, in relative safety, free to do whatever they wanted. Even if it was just for a short time.

"Jackson…" she began. "You know I love you. I want to be with you. But I need to know for sure that you'll bring me home if I ask you."

He nodded solemnly, searching her eyes.

"You have my word."

Jackson wouldn't lie to her.

Pausing for just a moment more to consider her answer, she slid her hands from around his waist up his torso and chest and finally around his neck.

"You'll have to teach me some Portuguese," she said with a small smile.

His furrowed brow slowly lifted and his enchanting eyes immediately brightened.

"You're coming with me," he said carefully, withholding his elation until he knew for sure.

Her smile widened. This was completely insane, but she absolutely loved it.

Jackson blinked at her, seemingly disbelieving. Laughing at his shocked face, she lifted up and pressed her lips to his. After a moment of hesitation he responded to her fully, tangling his fingers into her hair and kissing her deeply. He tasted so good to her, delicious and masculine. She ran her hands up the taut muscles of his back, savoring every inch of him.

He finally broke the kiss, but kept his face mere centimeters from hers.

"I need to go pack."

"We'll get you some clothes when we get there," he said huskily. She smiled, letting her lips brush his again.

"I need to say goodbye to my dad too."

"We'll send him a letter."

Lisa laughed and pushed him away.

"No, I really need to. I've put him through enough already," she said, her smile fading slightly at the thought. What the hell was she going to say to him?

Jackson nodded and quickly put his arms back around her, taking her lips again. His kisses grew deep and passionate, and Lisa could sense electricity building between them. She pulled away slightly.

"Jackson…" she scolded lightly when his hands slid down, cupping her butt and pressing her hips against his. Ignoring the protest, he pressed his mouth to her neck and assaulted her flesh with his lips and teeth. "We can't do this here," she gasped, feeling herself weakening as well. The parking lot of a public park was not the place for them to express their desire for each other.

He reluctantly pulled away and gave her one more kiss.

"Then let's get out of here," he breathed. He reached for her door handle and opened it for her, watching her slide inside.

Lisa laughed at how quickly Jackson threw himself into the driver's seat, eager to get them somewhere they could be alone. He reached across and took Lisa's hand after he shifted the car into gear, entwining his fingers with hers.

"Where are we going?" Lisa asked, true elation coursing through her.

Who knew what awaited them. Heartbreak…maybe even danger, but for now…they were together.

"I don't know," he answered. "But we'll figure it out."

Lisa smiled and turned her head to the passing landscape.

It was the perfect thing to say.


End file.
